The Hopes and Vulnerabilities That Single People Share
Single people are a diverse group of people
It would be very hard to categorize us.
Some of us are very young and eagerly looking for one’s partner in life. Some of us are older and have reached both emotional and financial stability already. Some may not have been single at one point in their lives. For one reason or the other, they are also now living independently just like other single people do.
Perhaps what unites us all are some of our common hopes and vulnerabilities.
Our common hopes
Single people may be found in all stages of life, but there are common hopes that unite us.
One such hope is that wherever we may be, we can find a way to live a meaningful life.
For younger ones, it could mean studying with the goal of having a good career one day. For more mature ones, it could be devoting oneself to an activity that could benefit other people.
Another hope we may all share is our hope for happiness.
We hope that we can fill that empty place in our hearts with that kind of happiness that lasts. We seek that feeling of satisfaction, wholeness and joy.
Our common vulnerabilities
As a single person who has found a more stable perspective in life, I admit that I still feel vulnerable on some occasions.
There are passing moments when I long for a person to be there for me, to listen to me. There are times when I wish I could have someone whom I can call my own.
Because it’s not easy to live life independently.
When you’re single, you have to carry all the weight of your actions and decisions. And you have to learn to stand up for yourself.
It’s not that you can’t do that when you already have a partner.
But it’s different when you know someone will support you all the way.
The grace given us
I sometimes imagine single mothers who need to raise their children alone. Or those who have been widowed without having a child.
Each single person has a cross to carry and a challenge to face in life.
That doesn’t mean, however, that we are not provided with the grace we need.
A single person may still have a parent or a sibling to support him or her. A single parent may still have relatives who can share the responsibility of raising one’s child. And let us never forget the value of good friends who continue to be there for us.
The world may not see it immediately, but we can recognize the gifts we are given. So let us carry on and let us not lose heart. Do not look very far ahead without counting the strength God would bless you with along the way.
We are His and we are loved. Let us cling to Him all the more with a single and undivided heart!
