Love and Loss...Part 2

There are 7 billion people in the world. There are 331 million people in the United States. Statistics show that one in three people or close to 33 percent of people in the U.S. experience loneliness on a regular basis. Sixty-one percent of younger people in the U.S. say they are chronically lonely. Fifty-one percent of mothers of young children also report feeling lonely.

Many mothers have several people in their home, from their spouse, children or other family members. So you may wonder, how could a person get lonely? Especially a mother who has a child or children who need her all the time. Well, it’s definitely possible and not talked about enough, so let’s talk about it.

In part one, I started the article sharing my story of having a miscarriage. When I was having my miscarriage, I had to be admitted to the hospital. This was during the height of COVID. No one could be with me, not even my husband. You can imagine the feeling of loneliness that can occur in that situation.

Motherhood can be lonely. Especially the early stages of motherhood where most of your time is given to your children, due to their inability to do a lot for themselves. This can be isolating and hard to cope with.

Maybe this is your story or there are other circumstances that are causing you to be lonely. Maybe you just had a baby and are feeling lonely because you have to be in the house for a while. Maybe you're a stay at home mom and you feel withdrawn from the world while you take care of the home. Maybe you have recently gone through the trauma of losing a child. No matter the situation, there is hope and ways to help your situation. Let’s talk about it.

Confrontation

Acknowledge the feelings you are having. Don’t dismiss them or try to ignore them. The feeling is there and it is real. Think through why you are feeling this way. What are the circumstances surrounding you feeling lonely? Is there something that you can do to change the circumstances? Think through these questions and consider what to do next.

Take Action

You don’t have to continuously live with the feelings of loneliness. You can fight these feelings. The circumstances surrounding your feelings are very real and may be very difficult for you to deal with. When you feel loneliness creeping in, do something you like (if you can). Here are a few things you can do:

• Exercise

• Pray

• Read a book

• Meditate on scripture (Isaiah 41:10)

• Journal

• Cook/Bake

• Call a friend

• Get out the house

Encouragement

I get it. You are not alone. When I was having a miscarriage or even during the two years I was experiencing hip pain and relegated to a cane, there were periods of loneliness. You do not have to stay there and your life does not have to be defined by those feelings. Be careful to acknowledge and fight those feelings with healthy actions. Remember as always mommas, YOU GOT THIS!