Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Holidays Emphasize Loneliness - Need to Reach Out To Others

Weekends and holidays can be the loneliest times for some older women. It seems that everyone is busy doing something, going somewhere, and here we sit. Some of us are widowed or divorced. Not being part of the action anymore – the workplace, the family, leaves us to find our own new ways of participating in life. Sometimes being sad and alone, we become inactive sitting around watching the TV and feeling sorry for ourselves, which leads to more being sad and withdrawn.

Of course what one sees everywhere on the ads in magazines is the busy happy family enjoying the holidays and feeling love all around. It makes us feel even more alone.

If we haven’t connected with a few other women in the same boat, or if we have no family nearby, we are left to ourselves to find something to do, or find a place to volunteer where someone needs us.

What can we do?


We have to get out of ourselves and do something for someone else. Here are some ideas:

1. Call a neighbor and ask him/her over for coffee and Christmas cookies.
2. Bake some cookies, wrap them up and take them to another person in the neighborhood.
3. Send some cards to the residents in a local nursing home.
4. Call a long lost friend, even if you aren’t speaking.
5. Make list of family and friends you haven’t talked to for a while and call them all.
6. Donate a gift to an organization collecting for needy or children
7. Find out where they are serving meals to the homeless and volunteer.
8. Check children’s organizations to see what they need and volunteer to help.
9. Check with local hospital to see if they need visitors in children’s ward.
10. Knit a scarf, or make a pot holder, make or buy a card or small gift and donate it to local nursing home.
11. Check with nursing home to see when you come and visit residents
12. Check with churches to see if they need someone to assist with something.

Make a new years resolution that you will contact someone, make a new friend, join a women’s group and vow to be out there on the holidays.


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