Old ties and new relationships: Bereaved girlfriends' experiences in new romantic relationships after the loss

This study examined the experience of 16 Israeli bereaved girlfriends of fallen soldiers who developed new romantic relationships after the loss. Following the relational dialectical viewpoint, our analysis indicates that the bereaved girlfriends simultaneously experienced strong commitment to continuity but no less strong commitment to the present. This dialectical tension was reflected in the participants' need to preserve their commitment to their initial relationship and to the deceased while at the same time establishing and nurturing their commitment to the present relation and their current partner. Research results outline the commitment contradiction within each of the identified dyads, as well as the strategies that the bereaved girlfriends used to reduce the tension within these dyadic relationships.