A couple days ago, I wrote about how the dating process for a single parent can actually be fun…if we let it be. Along with enjoying ourselves as we date and meet new people, I think it is important to learn how to stay patient. If we get uptight or in a hurry to “find someone” we may make a big mistake or even scare away someone who could potentially be a special new addition to our lives.
Not all of us come by patience naturally, in fact, if you ask many people, they will confess that patience is one of the albatrosses they wrestle with. For a single parent dating and trying to find a partner (if, in fact, you are trying to find a partner) staying patient through the whole dating and meeting process can be trying. For many of us, the older we get, the more patience it takes. We have matured and have a clearer picture of what it is we are looking for and so have the people that we are dating. It isn’t as easy as just “hanging out” and getting fixed up by a friend or friend group as it was when we were teenagers. It takes some diligence, openness and patience.
I understand that we single parents get lonely and the stresses and realities of single parenthood can make it feel imperative that we find someone to share life’s troubles with right away—but if you are on the rebound or very soon out of a marriage that ended in divorce or death—taking time and being patient can be a much healthier approach to dating.
Try not to lose faith or get down-hearted, it can take time to find someone worthy of spending the rest of your life with (or at least attempting to) and you will be happier overall if you are patient and choosey than if you get in a rush and pick the first person who seems to like you.