<![CDATA[Abstract—One of the challenges faced by older adults is the loss of a spouse. The experience of losing a spouse is difficult. Elderly widows and widowers are vulnerable to grief, loneliness, health problems, and depression. Given this challenge, gratitude is crucial for enabling them to give meaning to their experiences positively and accept their circumstances. Gratitude is the tendency to respond to the kindness of others with grateful emotions. Forms of gratitude include appreciating the good things in life, feeling thankful when receiving benefits from others, approving others’ positive actions, and feeling happy with the results of those actions. This research aims to discover the gratitude in elderly widows and widowers, specifically the forms of gratitude they exhibit. Using a phenomenological approach and purposive sampling technique, interviews were conducted with three elderly people who have lost their spouses. The themes that emerged in this study included problems, supporting factors, things to be grateful for, forms of gratitude, impacts of gratitude, and characteristics of gratitude. The death of a spouse can evoke negative emotions, but all three informants had supporting factors in the form of social support from others and spirituality. They were grateful for their health and the fulfillment of their life needs. The form of gratitude expressed by the three informants is saying thanks to God and others. Gratitude then can generate acceptance towards life situations. Therefore, gratitude has a positive impact on elderly widows and widowers.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
