Single: Love it or Hate it?

Hello again my friends. Thank you for reading my blogs and returning for another one. I will admit that I struggled with this one. I knew I wanted to write a blog about being single. I have lots of experience in that department after all. I wanted to make it encouraging, so here it is. I hope you enjoy it. May this blog entertain and encourage you. If you are dating or married, there is something for you too, so don’t stop reading now.

You might be wondering why I wanted to write a blog about being single. Well, with Valentine’s day around the corner, I wanted to shake things up. Instead of writing a blog about celebrating love, and romance, I want to lift up single people. We are just as important as couples and I don’t think that single people get celebrated enough.

I have talked to many single people and there are some who love their single life and others who lament their singleness. I have been in both parties throughout my single life, and I can say that right now, I am loving my single life. So, let me first talk to you singles who wish that they were in a relationship.

First, let me say, you’re going to be okay. It’s okay to wish for a relationship, to pray for one, to hope for one. I never want to tell people to give up on their dreams, and I won’t start now. However, I want to encourage you to not put your life on hold while you are in this time of waiting. Do not just sit there and wait for someone to come and waltz into your life. Live your life. Use your time wisely. As you are living, the right one for you will come along and join in. I actually heard some great advice the other day. Think about what kind of person you want to be with, and go do those activities. If you want to be with someone who loves camping, go camping. If you want to be with a fitness person, go to the gym. Do not wait for a partner to live your life.

Now, for those who are single and love their single life. A word of caution; do not let this be an opportunity to grow in selfishness. You still have people in your life that you can spend time with and pour into. Use this time to help others, be there for your friends and family. If you have single people in your life that are struggling with being single, encourage them. Have people who are newly married? Maybe your friend just had their first baby and they’re completely overwhelmed. Be there for those people. Let the people in your life know that you are there for them.

Now for you couples who are still reading. I didn’t forget about you. How can you help your single friends, whether they are struggling or thriving? Don’t turn your back on them. You hear it time and again, a group of friends are close, one gets married, and suddenly they ignore all their single friends. I don’t understand it personally. Maybe you think you have nothing in common anymore. Let me shut that down by saying you do not become an entirely different person once you are dating or married. Even when you become a parent, you’re still the same person. Yes, other responsibilities come into your life, other priorities, but please, never shut your single friends out of your life. Encourage them, make time for them, and challenge them to keep growing in their own way.

So, how do I celebrate singleness? I do my best to make time for all my friends, no matter what stage of life they are in; single, dating, married, or a new parent, I still want to be there for them. I might not have the same struggles or challenges as them, but I can be a friend to listen and to encourage, and to build them up. That should never change. To any of my friends reading this, if I have been distant, I’m sorry. Let’s do coffee, or lunch, or whatever you need. And if I have never met you before and you just want a friend, let me know. I would love to be there for you as well.