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How widows can find happiness in love after a spouse passes away
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The death of a spouse is one of the top stresses a person can experience next to finding a job and moving, according to Widows Hope, a resource organization for widows. - photo by Herb Scribner
The death of a spouse is one of the top stresses a person can experience next to finding a job and moving, according to Widows Hope, a resource organization for widows.

But the death of a spouse leaves people lonely, which can be fatal. Those who feel they are consistently lonely have a 14 percent higher risk of suffering from an early death, according to the report.

To avoid death and loneliness, some widows look for a new love, but that isnt always easy. Widows struggle to accept a new love in their life because they believe they loved their first partner so much that they could never love again, according to Aaron Ben-Zeev, Ph.D., who wrote for Psychology Today.

In most of (the) cases of widowhood, if there was a positive attitude toward the spouse during his lifetime, this is enhanced, Ben-Zeev wrote. This is due both to the tendency to idealize the past and to our sense of propriety in not speaking ill of the dead. Although the late spouse is physically absent, the widow's love for him can remain and even grow.

Thats why many have chosen to stay single, according to federal data. Remarriage among the divorced and widowed has dropped by almost 40 percent in the last 30 years.

Still, some advise widows to move on after their partners death. Carole Brody Fleet, an award-winning author, wrote in The Huffington Post that widows can love someone other than their first spouse even though a widows adoration for their first partner never truly goes away. And by not embracing more love, widows run the possibility of grieving forever, Fleet wrote.

You are not destined to remain in mourning forever ... that isn't why you are here, Fleet wrote. Embrace and carry forward the legacies that were entrusted to you by your late beloved. If you choose it, living your new life can include companionship ... and love."

The Wall Street Journals Elizabeth Bernstein reported that theres no right time to find a new spouse after a loved one has died and that widows looking to date again should join a support group and talk to others about their feelings to help them cope with the loss. This will help widows become more hopeful and optimistic about their dating future, WSJ reported.

Experts also said daters should be confident about dating again. And they should understand that just by dating someone else, they wont tarnish their old partners memories.

You dont have to let go of your positive feelings about your spouse and marriage, Bernstein reported. You arent looking to replace that person. Your spouse was unique. If you take that as a given, you can move forward.

The new documentary The Age of Love shows how older Americans are moving on with their dating lives with confidence. Some elderly Americans are speed dating, according to NPRs Ina Jaffe. These older men and women were either widowed, single or divorced, but were all searching for some kind of love in the end of their life.

And these older Americans searching for intimacy know what they want in their next partner and will go to many lengths to find their true love.

"I want that guy that when I'm doing dishes will come up behind me and nuzzle my neck and give me a hug," Donna Capuano, one of the women from the film told NPR. "I want that guy that will pick up the phone and call me during the day just because he's thinking of me. That's who I am."
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Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program announces grant
Funds earmarked for Share the Road initiatives
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Grant funding totaling $93,458 has been awarded to the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP) by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. The approved funding will be used to increase motorcycle safety awareness and outreach by encouraging all motorists and motorcyclists to Share the Road.

“The need for motorcycle safety programs is greater than ever, and this support from GOHS enables motorcycle safety programs and impaired riding initiatives to reach riders and non-riders alike” said Commissioner Spencer R. Moore. “Thank you GOHS for helping (the Department of Driver Services) and GMSP educate and encourage all Georgia drivers to ‘Share the Road.’”

The grant allows DDS to further develop the Motorcycle Safety Outreach Program by continuing to fund a position to promote state and national safety initiatives. The GMSP outreach coordinator researches, coordinates and helps maintain an adequate presence at industry events, local schools and colleges, regional meetings and festivals to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and provide the most current information on motorcycle safety initiatives.

Visitors to a GMSP event display are also encouraged to sign up for regular newsletters which provide additional safety information, as well as review the motorcycle safety message on other social media platforms.

GMSP regulates motorcycle training for new riders, as well as seasoned riders, who want to learn how to ride a motorcycle legally and safely. The program is based on a continuum of learning and therefore offers three entry points to rider education.

Students participating in the Basic Riders Course do not need specialized motorcycle equipment, as the GMSP provides both a motorcycle and a helmet to class participants. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a 90-day license waiver card that exempts them from both the written and on-cycle skills tests needed to obtain a Class M license in the state of Georgia.

Please visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov for many online services including the convenience of enrolling in a GMSP training class and accessing many licensing services.

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