Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

For many women, marriage meant giving up personal choices because their husbands disapproved. But after becoming widows, some found new freedom—doing things they had been denied for decades.

The conversation started when 81-year-old Betty Cartledge went viral for voting for the first time in her life after her husband passed.


"I am going to vote for the first time in my life," Cartledge told Courier Newsroom (@couriernewsroom on TikTok).

She explained that her late husband didn’t want her to vote, and she had never questioned it—until now.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Element5Digital

A wave of stories follows

After her story spread, other women began sharing the things they finally did after their husbands died.

From getting their first credit card to finally wearing jeans, these stories shocked and inspired thousands.

Here are 23 powerful firsts women experienced when they were finally free to make their own choices.

1. A long-awaited piercing

"When my grandpa died, my grandma finally got her ears pierced."@vinarxb

2. Building friendships again

"When my grandpa died, my grandma suddenly made friends and had cousins."@cloudy.ugh25

media1.tenor.com

3. Reversing years of damage

"My grandpa used to win the deeds to people’s houses gambling, and when he passed, my grandma gave the deeds back in the wives’ names so the men couldn’t gamble it away again."@creolenebulas

4. Raising a glass

"When my papaw died, my memaw had her very first glass of wine the next day."@_sleslie

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Pixabay


5. A sweet act of defiance

"When my great-grandfather died, the first thing my great-granny did was bake a strawberry cake. He was allergic to strawberries."@cailin.98


6. Free to express herself

"My papaw didn’t want my mamaw wearing lipstick because he thought it would attract men’s attention. When he died, she wore lipstick all the time."@alliewink1072

media1.tenor.com

7. Packing up and leaving

"My grandma had her bags packed before my grandpa was in the ground. She got her own apartment and ditched her house. You never know what is really going on."@rubyjune21

8. Embracing natural beauty

"My grandpa died and my nana started wearing her natural hair."@lavender.in.the.rain

9. Living life on her terms

"When my father passed away, my mother wore makeup for the first time, got several tattoos, and lived an amazing life! She was only 15 when she was married. My father was 22!"@franklinpiercy2

media1.tenor.com

10. The ultimate act of defiance

"My mother-in-law wasn’t allowed to buy patio furniture, so she got six sets and put them all over her yard after her husband died. The resentment is real."@user7616

11. Her first financial freedom

"My grandma had no credit score at age 76. She was never allowed to have anything in her name. At 76, she proudly got her first credit card."@b__mcmohan

12. A life without limits

"My neighbor’s dad died and she said her mom didn’t shed one tear, went on vacations, wore the clothes she wanted, and lived a grand life for 20 more years."@producermama

media1.tenor.com

13. Learning to read at last

"My grandma learned to read and write after my grandpa died. She died only being able to read and write at a 1st-grade level."@snowykitsune21

14. Finally, a choice of her own

"When my grandpa died, my grandma put a window in the living room and went to Jamaica. I wonder now if she ever voted."@brandalah44

15. Free to grow her hair

"My dad didn’t let my mom grow her hair out. If it wasn’t the length he liked, he would cut it himself. When he died, she grew it down to her shoulders."@mountaingirl7771

16. No more unpaid labor

"My grandma mourned for a few months. Then she called the hospital where she’d been volunteering for 30 years and turned it into a paid position. He wouldn’t let her earn her own money."@goombaw99

media1.tenor.com

17. Chasing her dreams

"When my great-grandpa died, my great-grandma was in her 40s and was finally able to go to college and work as a nurse because he didn’t let her."@belle4192

18. The vacation she always wanted

"My grandfather was a horrible man. When he passed, my grandma took the insurance money and went on vacation with her sister and my mom to Hawaii for two weeks."@floridacarol

19. Learning to drive

"When my grandpa passed, my grandma got her driving license and a job."@feliciamorrowjack

media1.tenor.com

20. Buying her first pair of jeans

"My grandma wasn’t allowed to wear jeans. One of the first things she did was buy jeans."@kimberleybleeker

21. Finally, her first tattoo

"My grandma always wanted a tattoo, but my grandpa didn’t want her to do it. When my grandpa passed, she got a big forearm tattoo."@queenofcarrotflowers87

22. A long-awaited purchase

"Not even 24 hours after my grandpa died, my grandma bought her first television. In 1992."@heyItsjess

media1.tenor.com

23. Color returns to her life

"Grandma-in-law always wore black until her husband died. Since then, full-blown crazy color!"@brynseycarm


More For You

women, happy women, smiling women
photo of woman beside another woman at seashore

25 simple things that make women happy, according to women

From small acts of kindness to favorite treats and self-care activities, one thing is for sure: it's truly the little things that make women happy. Sure, the extravagant can too–but thoughtful things can make just as much impact.

If you want to do something to bring a smile to the face of a special woman in your life (a friend, a spouse, a sister or mom) and make her feel loved, these sweet and simple ideas will make her day. These are 25 responses to the question, "What simple things make you happy?", according to women. (And if you're curious, here are 12 things that make guys happy.)

Keep ReadingShow less
Millennial, selfie, duck face, fashion, roasting
woman in black tank top holding white ceramic mug
Photo by Nate Johnston on Unsplash

Millennials are roasting themselves and the internet can’t stop laughing

Every generation has its cringe-worthy moments. Whether it's Tide Pods, Sephora kids, or whatever “brain rot” TikTok trend is making the rounds, it’s just the natural cycle of growing up. But Millennials? We were the first ones to have it all documented online—for better or worse.

Reddit user u/sunkissedgirls, a teacher, recently posed a question to the r/Millennials community: “What is the millennial equivalent to Gen Z’s Tide Pods and Gen Alpha’s Sephora face?”

Keep ReadingShow less
A dad, a dog, a mystery: Goofy’s voice actor clears up decades of fan confusion
Super Festivals, via Wikimedia Commons

A dad, a dog, a mystery: Goofy’s voice actor clears up decades of fan confusion

For generations, fans have lovingly argued about what exactly Goofy is. With his long ears, dog-like snout, and anthropomorphic antics, many have assumed he’s simply a talking dog—Pluto with pants. But as Bill Farmer, the man behind Goofy’s voice since 1987, explains, it’s not quite that simple.

“Pluto is a dog, but Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family,” Farmer said in a 2020 interview. “I think Canis Goofus is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is. He’s just Goofy.”

Keep ReadingShow less
widower, night out, waitress, kindness, feel-good

Representative Image: She thought it was just a regular shift until she saw the note this widower left behind

She thought it was just a regular shift until she saw the note this widower left behind

Sometimes the most powerful connections come from quiet moments and small gestures. That’s exactly what happened at a Perkins Restaurant & Bakery in Yankton, South Dakota, where waitress Megan King experienced an encounter that moved her—and millions online—to tears.

King had been working a typically hectic Sunday shift when she met an older woman dining alone. As things began to settle, the two shared some light conversation. “Small talk, nothing too deep,” King told Tyla. The woman revealed it had been a while since she’d eaten out, and that Perkins had always been a favorite of hers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton | Alex G | Flickr

Unearthed Eric Clapton interview reveals devastating details that inspired "Tears in Heaven"

British rocker Eric Clapton has had a plethora of hits over his long music career. But one of his most famous songs, "Tears in Heaven", is getting an in-depth look in the musician's new film special, Eric Clapton Unplugged… Over 30 Years Later. (The 90-minute film will be released on Paramount+ on Feb. 12.)

It centers on Clapton's iconic MTV Unplugged set from 1992, where he performed an acoustic version of “Tears in Heaven.” And in a newly resurfaced interview for the special, he dives more into the heartbreaking background story to the song's lyrics that were inspired by his son Conor's death and subsequent grief journey.

Keep ReadingShow less