Well, for starters, it is your business because she is your mother and you are worried about her happiness. Obviously you can't live her life for her or tell her what to do, but the fact that you care says a lot about you. Not all kids care that much, believe it or not.

To answer your question, yes, there is a very good chance she could date again--IF she wants to. It all depends on her, of course. Many older people who are divorced or widowed are ready to get back on the horse almost immediately, and they have no trouble finding someone(s) new to date. Then you have the other kind: those who are not interested in any more romance or partnership once their first spouse is out of the picture. I mean, not interested at all. As in, very adamantly uninterested, and often offended by the mere suggestion.

My grandmother is a great example of this; a few months after my granddad passed away, a couple of us grandkids suggested that she start going to the 60+ singles group at her church. She was lonely and depressed, and we thought it might help her. But the suggestion went over like a fart in church: she told us in no uncertain terms that she would not be dating again, ever, and we should put that notion out of our minds immediately. A couple of years later, on the day my grandmother moved into a senior living community, an older gentleman introduced himself and gave her his calling card, which listed his name, phone number and unit number. My grandma, never known for her tact, looked at the card with a smirk and said, "What do I want with this?", then handed it right back to him. She never changed her mind and never dated again.

My point: if your mom isn't interested in dating, there's nothing you or your siblings can do about it. Some people are funny about that--they seem to think it dishonors their former spouse even to think about having a relationship with someone else. But if your mom has no problem dating again, and is willing to put herself in situations where she can meet people, then I believe she will have no trouble finding dates.

Oh, and it doesn't matter how many kids she has. Most people her age have several children. It's not a deal-breaker.

Thanks for the question.