When someone's spouse dies, the survivor is called a widow or widower. There are cultural norms in place in our society where we look after the well-being of widowers and widows. I think of the widows of firemen who perished on 9-11-2001. Their loss is staggering, and many rallied for them and offered multiple forms of support.
When a close sibling dies, it can feel like the death of a spouse. Yet what's the survivor called? There isn't a word for it, I don't think. Next of kin? Surviving family member? These terms don't quite capture what "widow" evokes.
Not to compare whose grief is more immense, yet our language and culture don't have a word to describe the unique kind of loss a close sibling experiences. The sense of emptiness, the yearning, the broken material connection are all similar.
You have any suggestions?
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