I wrote this yesterday, as I was facing another holiday alone:
"As a divorcée/single and empty-nester (with layers of extended family “ick”), weekends are lonely.
"As a divorcée/single and empty-nester (with layers of extended family “ick”), weekends are lonely.
Holidays are lonely.
Holiday weekends?
Doubly brutal.
I made plans for Friday night and Saturday morning/afternoon, and a sweet Held & Healed sister has invited me over today, but I still feel alone.
I made plans for Friday night and Saturday morning/afternoon, and a sweet Held & Healed sister has invited me over today, but I still feel alone.
I miss little boys, parades, face painting, cookouts, camping trips, sparklers, fire works, fire pits and ice cream.
I miss being with my boys every day, and every holiday.
I miss the messiness and chaos.
I miss little boy giggles, slathering them with sunscreen amidst groans of protest.
I miss having a houseful of energetic teenagers.
I miss movie picnics and game nights.
I miss homeschooling.
My hope and prayer is that some of those things will be reinstated, sooner versus later.
But, for now, I miss my family (my boys are and have always been my true family).
I see them about once/week and that’s just not enough for my heart.
How are you, dear sisters?
Is this weekend a time of celebration for you or is it a time of loneliness/grieving?
Do you have family to celebrate with?
Do you have friends who are like family?
There are no wrong responses.
May we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep."
The comments that followed broke my heart, as many are in very dark and lonely places right now.
I asked who would be up for a Zoom later in the evening, and twelve of us joined in to connect, share a bit of our struggles and to not be alone for that hour and a half.
I am thankful for the friend who invited me to join her family picnic and I want to challenge others to do the same.
* Look around you and see who is alone...the divorcee, the single mom, the empty-nester, the widow, the shut-in.
* Invite them to less formal events prior to the holidays, a family dinner or cookout, or on a day trip on your boat to the lake.
* When the holidays roll around, they will already know some of your friends and family members and if you invite them to join you, they'll feel more comfortable accepting the invite.
* There are so many who are alone and they desperately need to know that someone sees them.
If we all reach out and love on someone each day (in small ways and big ways), this world will be a brighter, kinder, happier place.
Ladies, please join us on Facebook at Held & Healed: Christian Women Rebuilding After Abuse as we support each other through the ups and downs of life.
Register here to receive weekly updates and inspirations.
The comments that followed broke my heart, as many are in very dark and lonely places right now.
I asked who would be up for a Zoom later in the evening, and twelve of us joined in to connect, share a bit of our struggles and to not be alone for that hour and a half.
I am thankful for the friend who invited me to join her family picnic and I want to challenge others to do the same.
* Look around you and see who is alone...the divorcee, the single mom, the empty-nester, the widow, the shut-in.
* Invite them to less formal events prior to the holidays, a family dinner or cookout, or on a day trip on your boat to the lake.
* When the holidays roll around, they will already know some of your friends and family members and if you invite them to join you, they'll feel more comfortable accepting the invite.
* There are so many who are alone and they desperately need to know that someone sees them.
If we all reach out and love on someone each day (in small ways and big ways), this world will be a brighter, kinder, happier place.
Ladies, please join us on Facebook at Held & Healed: Christian Women Rebuilding After Abuse as we support each other through the ups and downs of life.
Register here to receive weekly updates and inspirations.
