Alone

KeptByTheWord · #5 04-23-2013, 09:36 AM

This is a great topic. I had to experience being "alone" myself for the first time a few weeks ago. My kids are teenagers now, and with that comes the "untying" of the apron strings, and now they are gone a lot more, involved with a lot of different activities. My husband was out of town working a few weeks ago, and my daughter was at a friends house for the weekend, and my son was at a friends house. I was completely alone. Had no one to cook for, no one to talk to, just me and the dogs and the cat.

I had my first taste, probably for the first time in my life, of being home alone, completely alone. I stayed at home too, I didn't go anywhere. I ate meals by myself, and it was just me, myself and I.

I had been excited at first at the possibility of just being alone, because I do value my time alone to myself, for a few hours anyway, but as the hours stretched into two days, it wasn't so fun. I was so anxious for my kids to get back home, for my husband to be back in my arms. It was my first reality of what it could be like in just a few short years when my kids completely "fly the coop" ....

I called my grandmother who is in her 80s. She raised ten children of her own, plus took in her sister's child, and raised him, as well as many other children through the years. She has probably well over 100 grandchildren, and great-grandchildren now. Yet, she is alone. She lives in a huge house that has eight bedrooms, and still keeps the fires going, and keeps herself busy quilting, knitting, and doing things around the house, and in the summer, keeps a huge garden. Yet, she is lonely. My grandfather died several years ago.

Often when we talk to her, she mentions feeling so alone, although there are family who stop by every day to see her, yet, no one lives there with her, so at nights and most of the time, she is alone.

I reminded myself to call her more often, as I realized just how lonely loneliness can become. Jesus is a friend who is with us, of course. But as humans, we still need "someone" physically to talk to us, hold us, and love us.

I guess this topic should be a reminder to us all to think about those around us who may be lonely, and give them a call today, or go and spend some time with them... our parents, grandparents, elderly neighbors... whoever they may be. Someday... you may be in their shoes, and wishing someone would do it for you.

Thanks DB for opening up this topic for discussion. It spoke to my heart today.