To me, that looks like you did a good job. Validating is about acknowledging their feelings. You don't need to necessarily agree with them but it is incredibly powerful to acknowledge how someone is feeling about something.
Me: 48 y/o W: 47 y/o Together: > 20 yrs BD: Dec '15, then S 2nd BD: Mar '16, then I filed for D April '16: started piecing
