Single and possibly living alone indefinitely

I realized that I will sooner or later have to face the fact that I am single and my parents will someday leave this earth and I could be faced with living alone. I've decided that since I still have them around, I could plan ahead and start doing things that will help me prepare for it (although nothing can really prepare a person for the grief that one has to face when that time comes). There are many things that people can do. For example, if a person is missing an elderly parent or will eventually, that person can look to visiting elderly people in a retirement home. You can, more or less, adopt a parent or grandparent. Many single people, even people in their 50's have done this.

A woman can also start a woman's group in their church, no matter what denomination they are in. If you live in a small community, the women's group can find out who the women are who live alone and agree to call them twice a week to find out how they are doing (you have to make sure that you can really trust these people who will be calling you so that you don't turn out to be a victim) or you can tell your church pastor that you are alone and find out what sort of services they offer for older, singles.

I think that it is important to prepare for the inevitable. Perhaps going to stay at a B & B for a couple of nights just find out how it feels to be alone. If you are alone already and you need to feel connected to people, perhaps going to a retreat for women would be the answer. You can room with another woman or if you want more privacy, you can have your own room. Connecting with other religious people is important especially if you are a christian and facing singlehood. People can also volunteer with other singles in a once a week soup kitchen that is geared toward your own denomination. You may be able to find friends that way. Again, be careful not to give out too much information about yourself to anyone, no matter if they appear to be good or not.

Another way to prepare for the future of not having family members around is by learning all you can on how to handle singlehood and ways to prevent the feelings of loneliness and depression. Find ways to schedule your time, time for making phone calls, time for praying, time for hobbies, mailing letters, TV time, perhaps taking a day-time class in oil painting, time for walking the dog, time to shop, time to decorate your house, change the furniture around, time to visit friends, time for vacationing, time to see other family members that you haven't seen in decades, getting luxurious take-out dinners, starting a new home business (something you've thought about doing for years and never had the time), time to buy an alarm system or get security doors, time to buy a big dog, time to get a facial, do your nails, get a new hairstyle, time to find out about senior living apartments for yourself, time to find out about having a roommate, time to move close to relatives, siblings, nieces, time to go to a museum, time to go to a bookstore, library and spend time there, time to write to elderly pen pals that you usually visit (get a few names so that they never get tired of your mail), etc.

There's really so much one can do. I'm a book reader and I have found that there are books on every subject that I could never really be bored for very long. I've read books on loneliness, singlehood, or about my faith. I've seen books on "101 things to do when you're 30, 40, 50, 60," etc. There are also books on how to prepare for retirement, how to be safe when you live alone, how to enjoy single life, etc. If a person has any type of problem or wants to learn about something, you can bet there's a book out there for it. Many people can also find out what programs are out there for senior singles (before it happens) such as transportation, food and medication delivery services, lawn service, snow removal services. It's a good thing to tell other close family members who the people are that are helping you too. It's a good idea to always call close relatives at least 3 times a week if you live alone or everyday so that they know that you are okay especially if you live alone.

Anyway, these are some ways to prepare for the inevitability of being alone if you're not alone already and if you already live alone, these are some ideas that may help you live with your singleness.