A touching story of an elderly widower coping with life alone after his wife of 62 years died last January went viral on Facebook.

The Facebook post from "Humans of New York" racked up more than 1.3 million likes and over a quarter of a million shares.

In the post, the man talks about how much of the couple's lives were “linked”.

“We were very physical and affectionate. But we also shared every ritual of our life. I miss her every time I leave a movie and can’t ask for her opinion. Or every time I go to a restaurant and can’t give her a taste of my chicken. I miss her most at night. We got in bed together at the same time every night.”



The story prompted thousands of people to share their own stories of inspiring marriages and dealing with loss.

One woman replied that her own grandparents had been married for 62 years.

“They hold hands, treat each other with respect, and keep our family together. My grandpa walked me down the aisle this year and made me promise to be married 60 years!"

"Humans of New York" is a humanitarian and arts website that, through pictures and interviews, has become a strong political force and has helped to shine a spotlight on causes such as LGBT rights and the dire situation of Syrian refugees.

A picture of a young gay teenager crying prompted encouraging responses from Hillary Clinton and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres.

After reading about the story of a 10-year-old boy in Iran who was asked to carry a bag of fresh apricots home, only for his father to discover his son had given them all away before he got there, President Obama wrote: