One of the biggest challenges we widows face is loneliness.  It's easy for me to tell you to join groups and learn new things, but what if you are naturally an introvert? The easiest thing is to cherish the friends that you already have.  I know that I am a closer, better friend now then when I was married. I need my friends and they have made room in their lives for me.  But I try to give back to them so that it doesn't become a one sided friendship.  As a widow, I soon learned that marriage isn't the only close relationship I could have. Turn any acquaintance into a friend by inviting her to do something fun with you.  Having a mutually fun experience with someone is one of the strongest, most authentic ways too build a friendship. Widowhood, it seems, helped me grow into a better person - never a bad thing.  Isn't it ironic that I had to lose my husband to learn the value of friendships? I'm here to tell you that you will gain strength as you go along, and with that a new and wider value for your cherished friends. And most important, is the knowledge that the best friend you have is yourself.