Life after a separation, divorce, death or other crisis that has brought you to single parenthood can be a real roller coaster. Even for those of us who CHOOSE to become single parents, the realities of life as a solo mom or dad may be quite different from what we expected. The important thing is to have patience with yourself and with the adjustment process; keep putting one foot in front of the other, and try not to get discouraged.
Rebuilding a life can be tough! No one said it was going to be easy, sure, but many of us don’t expect it to be as hard as it is. There may be days when we are happy and euphoric, proud of our accomplishments, and then other days when it feels like we’ll never have the time or energy to make new friends (or that our judgment is askew and we don’t know WHO to approach or choose). It is typical to get a little shaky from time to time and to even ask ourselves “what’s the point?” But, try not to let discouragement creep in and get you down. Everything is temporary and even when it feels like you aren’t making any progress, your life is still evolving and changing.
I also think that for many of us, after we’ve been through a big loss–after the life we thought we were living dissolves or falls apart, it can be really hard to even FEEL like taking chances again. We might not trust that the universe will send us good people, or that we will be able to be a good friend, parent, potential partner, etc. The discouragement of wondering why we should even bother if things can go so wrong can keep us from taking the risks necessary to expand our lives and rebuild. Have patience with yourself and trust that if you just keep taking those baby steps, things will change and improve. Just don’t get discouraged!
Also: Let’s Talk About Loneliness
Take Inventory of Your Good Points