Dear Prakash,

Thank you so much for your message. So sorry to hear about your loss. Its hard to make life-changing decisions when you are going through such a challenging time. If you feel comfortable staying in the house, then don’t feel pressured to leave. What is important is how you feel — not anyone else. A general rule of thumb is to try to delay major life-changing decisions until at least one year. Give yourself time to process what has happened and to think through your wants and needs. We all grieve differently too — so no one should impose their beliefs on you.

When I mentioned the “naysayers” in the article, I was referring to situations like these. I stayed in the same house for about 2–3 years, and I did it on my terms and mine only. If you decide to stay that’s also good too. Please do what makes you comfortable and remember there’s no need to rush to make a decision.