Of all the struggles a single girl must face, most people wouldn’t think that finding a church would be one of them. However, when you take into consideration the fact that most churches are completely comprised of young families and older couples, it can start to feel like a quest for a Mommy and Me group rather than a place to worship.
He Turns My Gray Skies Blue
This past week, I’ve come upon yet another completely obvious, but never-the-less important, requirement for my future Mr. Perfect. He needs to possess the inexplicable ability to transform my day regardless of where I’m at on the emotional spectrum. There are some people in my life who can completely turn my day around with a short conversation sprinkled with a few encouraging words. It’s not necessarily because they have brilliant advice to offer. They may not say anything more than a compassionate stranger would, but the level of trust and respect I have for them elevates their wisdom.
The Follow-up Question
This weekend, I had drinks with a friend of mine who has been single for much of her adult life. She is an attractive and caring woman who is completely satisfied without a boyfriend or a husband at the young age of 29. However, there are some people who seem genuinely upset by the fact that she isn’t involved with someone, including near strangers.
The Not So Great Divide
I’m not sure if it’s that the fact that my most recent romantic experiments appear to be taking an unfavorable turn or that I’ve witnessed the demise of the relationships of a few close friends or something else entirely but I found myself on the train to bitter town a few days ago. I’ve since recovered but it got me thinking about the divide between singles and couples.
First Date Fail
And There He Was?
How is it that some people wake up one day and suddenly realize that they are in love with a person they have known on a friend level for eons and others use the friend zone as a way to politely turn someone away as a romantic possibility? Is it really that these people have come to the realization that they are actually interested in their long-time pal and they suddenly see them in a brand new, romantic light? Was one party in love all along and just eventually wore the object of their affection down. Maybe an ultimatum was finally given: love me or lose me as a friend. Or is it more an act of desperation; nothing better came alone while I kept you at arm’s length so let’s do this.
Highest of Highs, Lowest of Lows and the Quest for a Middle Ground
A sermon I heard recently uncovered some ideas about the link between passion and connection that I hadn’t thought about in a long time. The pastor’s argument was that two very passionate people can have a great marriage in spite of constant fights because of the deeper connection caused by the discovery of the other person’s hidden thoughts and emotions during these intense arguments.
Voluntary Single Parenthood
Single parenthood used to be the most dreaded consequence of sex for a woman but an emerging trend in parenting seems to be voluntary single parenthood. In fact, the plot of the latest Jennifer Lopez flick revolves around a woman who chooses to get artificially inseminated after giving up hope of finding a man to naturally father her children.
Lessons in Self Reflection
I watched Titanic the other night for the first time in years (don’t judge) and it spurred some thinking about the ever-popular damsel in distress love theme. Of all the ridiculous lies perpetuated by mythological Hollywood storylines the idea that a person can find their true selves in their soul mate seems counterintuitive to me. Even though Jack acknowledged that Rose could really only save herself, the entire plot suggests otherwise.
Seeking a Man with a Plan
I’ve recently been pondering yet another of my apparently antiquated expectations when it comes to dating. I am of the belief that when someone asks another person on a date, the asker should have a plan set in place. The askee should be informed of time, location and, if necessary, proper attire within an appropriate amount of time before said date.