Mama always said that it was a compliment to the first marriage when a widow or widower remarried. Of course, I’m fairly certain that she thought she would outlive him.
She died a couple of years ago, after Daddy cared for her 24/7 for nearly 2 years - even after her disease made her a mean old woman. He married again within 7 months. I’m going to take it as a compliment to Mama. (Well, most days I try. I did think I’d get over it sooner than he did.)
My dad was happily married for 14 years until she died. She said he should not remarry, because no one would ever make him as happy as she did. After she died, he remarried after six months, because as he told me years later, he was looking for her. I was born from his third of four marriages. She was right, none lasted. But, he did often say my personality was a lot like his first wife’s. People have seen her picture and thought she was my mom, rather than my real mom.