There's only one voice worth listening to and that is the voice within your heart. I say go for it and not worry too much about friends and family. This is YOUR life. :) xo, D

I would say do whatever you want . I'd do it but it doesn't fit on my right hand. Don't think about what other people say...Good Luck!

I had a family ring specially made with his, my, and our sons' birthstones. When I moved my wedding rings to my right hand, I put the family ring in its place. I knew after so many years that I would need to have something on my left hand. That made it easier for me.

Hope this helps.

Love and Hugs,
Martha

Whether or not I wore my wedding or widow ring or went without either, I still received male attention - it freaked me out. It only lead me to believe there is something terribly wrong with the men who were hitting on me when I obviously was sick, vulnerable, looked and felt like crap.
In any case, I went through a whirlwind of emotions. All my mind could think of were ways to relieve my grief - help me feel better. Most of the suggestions I didn't act on because they only led to trouble and were spurred by fear. The fear of being alone or unloved forever. Fear can be overcome just as adjustments will be made in the time it takes.
Whatever you experiment with, try not to do it when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired (HALT).
Let me just add that it is very easy to become defiant, rebellious and pretty much wanting to give everyone the middle finger due to the tremendous anger caused by grief. I say this because for me I wanted my grief time to be recognized and honored as I kept my widow ring on till I was 7 years out. Its a personal decision.
The moment I removed them, friends and family went bonkers in wanting to set me up on a date. When I put the ring back on it was ignored, I could never get that protection back. A simple decision such as removing your rings can lead to more problems than you can deal with at this time. Just something to think about.
Best wishes.

Only you can decide if and when you chose to remove your wedding ring. I personally don't plan to anytime in the future. And I couldn't if I wanted too. (too fat) ha ha. I am only at four months without my husband and his ring and mine are my most proud possesions. Though even with my rings on I found out I am still a dork magnet! ha ha, Hugs and Love to all, Michele

I'm sorry - I guess I misunderstood your question the first time. I answered only about moving the ring. I did not move my ring because I wanted to date, I moved it because it was the right thing to do to signify that my relationship with Cliff had changed. I never had any doubts in my mind that if I wanted to start dating and was interested that I would do so. I was 50 when I was widowed, not 15, I didn't need anyone's permission to do so. You don't either. Lots of people will try to dump their issues on you. Remember that they are their issues, not yours. You are an adult; that means you get to decide.

It is prudent to take things slowly. Make friends, expand your social circle, let things happen more naturally. Friendship, companionship, and sometimes simply a male viewpoint is nice to have. This doesn't mean you automatically have to date somebody or sleep with them or spend the rest of your days with them. It will take you awhile to be able to socialize again. Small steps.

You can check out meetup.com to see if there are any groups in your area. That's a good way to expand your social circle without the pressure of dating. Volunteering can be a good way to make new friends, too. (Having a common cause is a good ice-breaker, too.)

Oh, and for the record, I wear both my husbands' rings. Mark's on my left hand and Cliff's on my right. People die, love doesn't.

Love and Hugs,
Martha

Martha, you are so right! People die, love doesn't. I removed my rings on December 5, 2011, shortly after my father died (JR died January of that year.) I removed them for myself, I wasn't ready at that time to date, but as I went about arranging for the care of my mother, handling my father's estate and planning a funeral, I realized that whatever I was, I wasn't married. Didn't mean that I loved JR any less, I just realized that I could not maintain a one sided relationship any longer. As much as I loved JR, he was not there to help me, except in memory, and he was never going to be there as a spouse again. So I removed the rings, more for myself than for anyone else, or for any attention. I started dating about a year after I removed the rings, when I was ready. This is all about how you feel, not what the outside world thinks.
Hugs,
Val

For me it was symbolic of the fact that Cliff had "crossed over" - so my rings crossed over to my right hand. To me, it just made sense. Cliff and I had had the big "what if" conversation after we buried each of our 4 parents. We agreed that if either of us died that whichever was left behind should grieve for a time but then try to live as fully and happily as possible and to find love again, and hopefully someone who would love our boys, too (my sons are both on the autism spectrum). I had promised Cliff and he had promised me that was what would happen. I didn't think I could keep that promise, nor did I think anyone would come along to keep that promise with, to be honest. But not all of life's surprises are bad surprises. Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it.....

I haven't made the decision to remove/ or move my rings yet, Not sure I will any time soon but I do miss the companionship and all that goes with having a man around. I am still in that mind set that I am not honoring my husband even though I know that's not true. If I ever find someone else I want to make sure they accept me and everything about me including being a widow. Do what works for you. Just like grief its self no one feels the exact same way you do. Hugs

Lisa

I appreciate the posts. I guess I already knew that the bottom line would be to follow my heart. I'm going to try switching hands for a while and just see how it feels.
Thanks everybody!

My husband passed away almost 14 months ago. I've worn my ring for 36 years. I tried moving it to my right hand, but it felt very strange. So I will wear it on my left hand.
I don't want to remove it, it's a beautiful ring.

You will know what feels right for you.
Hugs,
Janie