Ode to Singleness

You know those holiday movies where the disfunctional single person who is working too much or trying to convince themselves they are really happy wakes up surrounded by messy kids and a spouse who is a mess by they realize what they were lacking in their life.  So, when they wake up they have this total turn around, or in the really good ones, they realize it is not a dream at all.  They are not longer single.  They are rescued from their loveless, pointless life.  The single character on TV sitcoms is usually the crazy one who is a mess.  Maybe that is true of those of us who are single, but really, we all have a little crazy in us.  :)

For some reason, I feel bad posting on facebook this is one of those days that I just feel really glad to be single with no kids.  Why is that?  It probably says a lot about me but I think it also says a lot about our culture.

So...just for you who wonder what we single people do on a good day....I got to sleep ten hours last night after a very busy couple of weeks.  I have had two cups of coffee while sitting in my chair, undisturbed. I actually had some yogurt with some gluten free "oreo like cookies" for breakfast while I watch "Valentines Day". (Yup, I get the irony of writing an ode to singleness while watching a romantic comedy)  My to do list for the day is to pick up some groceries at Super Target, walk the dog, paint my fingernails, practice my sermon for tomorrow and plan a funeral service for a beloved church member.  And you know what, I love that this is my life today.

I get to sleep through the night, every night.  I only have to do my own laundry.  When I cook or go out to dinner, I get to go where ever I want to go.  I get to watch what I want to on my TV.  When I make decisions, I am the only one I have to consider.  I'm a pretty tame person, I'm a pastor after all.  There's not a lot of crazy partying or dating around.  I just enjoy my life. I know all of that seems selfish, but why? I do have to make sacrifices in my life for other people and for my job, but this is where I find myself in life and I am going to enjoy it unapologetically.

I don't know what the future holds and yes, I still hope to fall in love and have to do the hard work it takes to keep a relationship going for the rest of our lifetimes.  But when (or if) that happens, I'm not going to look back at this portion of my life and feel like I was missing something, feel like I was just waiting, feel like that I was waiting to wake up from this dream to realize what my life is really missing.  I know what it is missing but I also know what I have.

So, where ever you find yourself today, make the most of it.