Hope you can fully recover from that rather insidious Catholic Guilt BS. I have helped a few Catholics ascend from the darkness of superstition into the light of reason and they, (both in a matter of months) managed to loose fear of hell and not feel guilty for "sins" that they now fully recognize were baseless. In one case, the X-Catholic is now filled with extreme anger over the years and opportunity lost because she was a Catholic for such a long period of her life.

I lost my wife almost two months ago. She was agnostic, I am atheist. She was the love of my life and her family wanted to tIe me to court because I was doing my duty and standing up for what she wanted done with her remains after death. She made me strong... I'm still reeling from the loss. I still haven't figured out how to live without her, but I have to for our children.

I lost my husband 5 years ago. He was 30. He was also an Atheist, but was raised in a very religious family. His grandfather was a church of christ preacher.

My husband killed himself, so I have to remind myself to be nice when his religious family members tell me he's in a better place, since their religion says he gets to spend eternity in hell. Sometimes I remind them of that, usually depends on the person and the mood I'm in. His family is full of child molesters and pedophiles, so don't feel too bad for them.

I lost my husband in 2005 to pancreas cancer. He was a Christian and a cheater. RIP

Mt late wife and I were married at a Ministers home in California,and during our 27 years married,never stepped into a Church or house of worship once. She had a few crosses in our home's hallways but nothing else of any religious context at all. Yes, we'd put a tree at Christmas and decorate the house,but that was about it. She has an Aunt in the Seattle are who raised my wife,as her birth mother was alcoholic and abandoned Kathy,so stepped in and raised her through childhood.

I was 40 and my first husband was 37 when he died from what I will describe as a heart attack as a result of complications from kidney disease. My son found him as he came home from school and called 911, but it was too late. During the next few weeks,it was difficult to explain that I was not going to have a wake and church services for him, and only a memorial service, and that he wanted to be cremated.

I was just widowed, I'm 53 he was 46. The end was just nuts and stressful. Thankfully his family was cool with no church service and that he wanted to be cremated.
my problem is now that my family. For the past 20 years they have not talked to me because I am an atheist and because I don't give a s*** what the Joneses think and boy do they. I was a wild child and they just can't forget that, even though I'm now 53 not 18. They never liked my husband for no good reason other than he was my husband. Not one of them even sent a card or called to see how I was after he died. So those are brought up to go to church every Sunday, Roman Catholics see how they are?

Never loved a Lover that I couldn't live without. Never hated a lover. Honest! So the other half always had survived me and me her, for now. Unable to help.

After 51 years of marriage my wife died five years ago. We were both believers when we married but I soon "fell by the way." Of course our children were aware of our differences and our extended, Christian families were supportive and accepting all along--although they continued to pray for my lost soul. We had a church funeral and my brother--a protestant minister--gave what I thought was a very appropriate eulogy.

I was 19 when my first husband was killed by a drunk driver.
His family ran right over me and planned everything connected to
his funeral. They weren't super religious, but enough to drag it all
through a catholic church. They also bullied me into giving his mother the bulk
of his insurance policy payout.
I was young, inexperienced, immature, and had no idea what my rights
actually were. I didn't know I could have said "no" to all of that.
I hauled ass and moved as far away from them as I could get.
That was my go-to when I was young. I would run.
Now, I'd tell them all to go fuck themselves, but back then, I didn't know
myself well enough to have the confidence to do that.

I have not lost a spouse to the grim reaper but I, too, was messed up for years in my youth by a Roman Catholic upbringing. Don't allow the manipulative crapola they filled our heads with to mess with you anymore.