Widowed VS. divorced/seperated/single

If i am widowed, which i am, then dont classify me as divorced or seperated! I didnt divorce My Love and I am certainly NOT seperated from her I would just put in Married since you ARE still married....but i agree that questions like that are not set up for everyone..I have issues with the whole race question...usually the options are Caucasian Afro-American Hispanic Other or something along those lines....Now I'm mixed race (Polish and West indian) so I'm PART Caucasian....I am NOT Afro American since I'm NOT american but I AM half black....Never have I seen the option of "mixed race" or "biracial" or anything of the sort so I always end up choosing "other" which is a little insulting (or it would be if I was sensitive like that LOL) because it gives the feel of "other" being "less than"...

Hi Darrel, `I am so sorry for your loss. I do know how you feel. At least the part of being widowed. I lost my second husband to a Parkinson-like illness in 2002. He was ill for 5 years. These surveys or applications or whatever forms we might be filling out are so insensitive!! Whoever created forms of any kind have never experienced this kind of loss. There are so many different kinds of emotions wrapped up in losing a loved one. I say I can relate to your pain but in reality, your pain is unique only to you and mine is unique to me. I lived my pain every moment of my husbands life from the day he was diagnosed. His pain and suffering were unbearable for me to watch. His passing was such a blessing because it meant his suffering was over. I wish I knew what I could say to help you with your pain. My heart breaks for you. I can't remember now , but the phone calls I would get afterwards were unbelievably insensitive. I don't remember what they were about but the people were aware of my recent loss but had no sympathy what so ever. Please, if you have a need to talk about it, I'm here. Sometimes strangers can be the best listeners. Youwill be in my prayers. leenie

I fill out lots of surveys online in hopes of getting a few bonus bucks to play with. I also get a little frustrated with the martial status form. I usually have to put single. I was never married, divorced, widowed, seperated, or living with anyone. However I have had the same partner for over 12 years. Once my partner was in an accident and the hospital wouldn't tell me anything because I was not family. WHAT?! One time when I had to get surgery, we had to get papers written up giving him power to consent to stuff on my behalf because he isn't considered family. Though we don't have a traditional family, it works for us and we are happy. But I am not really single. So I get a little upset because it seems to belittle my family structure because ours is not there. Family is how a person looks at their relationships, not blood or paperwork can make it any less real. I know if I was to loss my partner I would FEEL like I lost my other half. I would hate to put in single if he was gone because I would not feel that way then either. They shouldn't group those together because they are different experiences totally and don't give you a full picture of the person or their family structure.

they are annoying.. i always am amused by the ones that have single, married, living as married.. um if your not married.. your single.. at least to me.. i mean yeah there is a difference if you are like in person with the person but as far as a stupid survey i wouldnt think it would matter.. but agh i dunno.. they should take that and the race questions off

I hate that question as well but for a different reason. They put single and never married together. Its bad enough that i am single, but do you have to throw in the never married part as well??

You are correct in what you just said. There certainly is a big difference between being divorced, and separated, they are choices, being widowed is not a choice and should not be put in the same category. I am sure when a question is posed like that, a person can and probably will lose interest in finishing the questionaire. I do not think a lot of society have the sensitivity when it comes to the loss of another's significant other, because it is such a delicate issue. Take care, and God bless

I am genuinely surprised that no one has protested at all about the innumerable forms, questionnaires, information-required notices etc that an average person has to fill which require information nobody really pays any attention to. Application forms require details that are so often redundant. Marital status is also asked for with irksome regularity. What would happen if someone filled in marital status with "living in sin" Nothing I'm sure. Nobody would find anything amiss simply because these forms are only given a cursory look and then filed in strong steel cabinets, forgotten, never to see the light again.