As singles, we have a lot of time on our own. We even look forward to that alone time. I go to Mass every day. I watch a Catholic movie once a week by myself. I can go for quiet walks and enjoy the melody of nature.
We get used to doing things by ourselves because the majority of the time we need to tackle the tasks of the day by ourselves. Once in a while, however, we are faced with a task that we can’t do on our own.
If the heater or pipe breaks we call a professional. When we have a bad day, we call a friend or go out to chat. When we can’t lift a heavy couch we call on our strong friends. We are meant for relationship, with one another and with our God.
But was there ever a time you didn’t have anyone to call on?
I have minor surgery this month. Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal, but the hospital is five hours away from my house and I can’t drive after the surgery. Not only do I need a ride after the surgery, but I need someone who can take care of me for a few days. This is not something I can do on my own.
My parents are in their 70s, so I didn’t want to trouble them. All of my sisters are married with children, so I didn’t want to add to their responsibilities. I didn’t want to ask my single friends because, not knowing how I would react after the surgery, I didn’t want to place that burden on them.
I felt very alone and would get emotional thinking that there is no one to take care of me. I shared this concern with my sister Nancy. She said, “I know you feel like an outsider because you are not married, but that is not the way it is. You are a member of the larger family and we would do anything for you.”
This, of course, made me ball my eyes out.
We all want to belong and to be accepted by the ones who love us. Living the single life can feel like living on a desert island. I feel blessed that God reminded me of the tremendous support group that I have around me, but not everyone has that blessing.
As singles, we are present to others to give of our time, but we also need to remember that it is OK to ask for help when we need it. We are the Body of Christ and the community of believers, but sometimes we forget to act that way.
Today, call one of your single friends and ask her if there is anything she needs. And if you are the receiver of that phone call, be humble enough to say yes.
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