It’s Friday! And that means around the blogosphere you hear the tap-tap-tapping of fingers on keyboards as they unabashedly type out their thoughts for 5 minutes, writing, unedited, ready to share, using the same word prompt, for everyone to read over at Lisa-Jo Baker’s place.
Go!
Lonely. When my husband leaves for an extended period of time. When I’m far from my children too long. When a child grows up and out of the house and there is an empty place at the dinner table. When I hear their sweet voices over the long distance telephone and I want to hug their chubby bodies and kiss their fat cheeks I’m lonely for my grandchildren. When I count out an odd number of plates and remember how it was always an even number I’m lonely for days gone by. When I pick up a meat fork and stab the not-quite-like-mom’s pot roast and I’m lonely for coffee and conversation with her. But, then, lonely makes me love all the more, makes me want to make the most of the moments I’m given with the ones I love. Lonely is not all together a bad thing, but a thing that teaches, a thing that brings growth.
Stop.
This is beautiful! I especially like the ending – lonely is a thing that teaches, a thing that brings growth. Oh, so true. It often leaves us aching, but we do grow. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Shawna 🙂 I’m so glad you stopped by for a visit today. I’ve enjoyed the FMF posts today – I didn’t expect it, but I’ve been very encouraged by what so many have had to say. Enjoy your weekend!
Life is always changing. I too become lonely for the days of the past. But I try to remember that God is always doing a new thing and that it will be good. Loneliness has been one of my greatest teachers. And though as a student of it, I kicked and screamed to be surrounded by people and to have my own way, it has been a blessing I can now embrace. Next door from Five Minute Fridays. Have a beautiful weekend.
Hi Cheri 🙂 thank you for stopping in and leaving your nice comment. Loneliness really is a great teacher. As I get older, I understand this more and more. Enjoy your weekend!
All too true. Thanks for stopping by my blog so I could find you. I am an empty nestor with grandbabies coming along. I feel the loneliness right after I hang up with my youngest who lets me listen to the babble of my little grand daughter whose chubby cheeks I’ve only kissed during 5 visits since she was born. Thankfully another little one is coming along this fall who just happens to belong to my oldest who just moved less than 10 minutes from us. I can’t help thinking that’s God way of giving back to me what I’ve missed out on with our other grand baby. That ache that I have to hold my own children, now grown, will soon be lavished on this new little one. I can hardly wait.
Thanks for sharing those amazingly painful and lovely moments.
Mindy
The Howell Blessings
Hi, Mindy, and welcome! I enjoyed my visit to your place today 🙂 Oh, the sweetness of grandbabies! We still have our youngest at home, but I wish all our children and grandchildren were close by. Congratulations on another new blessing in your family! We are blessed to have our daughter and her family (3 little ones) nearby for a while, and our 2nd daughter is expecting her first so we’ll have another bundle to gush over often. Enjoy your children and grandchildren in whatever way you are able and have a blessed weekend!
Beautiful words, as always Linda. lonely makes me love all the more…love that! Blessings!
Thank you Cheri 🙂 your sweet words mean a lot to me. Have a wonderful weekend!
Oh, this tugged at my heart. I’m missing my grandsons and my daughter more than usual today. So yes, I’m lonely. Glad to know I’m not alone, though. Thank you.
Hi Lisa! That crazy loneliness often hits when I’m least expecting it. Hugs to you Grandma! I’ll keep loving as I can, I know you will too 🙂
Well written and detailed. I can see everything that you described.
Thank you Tati 🙂
What a beautiful post!
thank you deb 🙂 I’m glad you stopped in for a visit. Have a blessed weekend!
The heart of a mom . . . we have seasons
Enjoyed your post. I’m your neighbor at the Weekend Brew.
Hello, Carol 🙂 and welcome! So true – we do have seasons. Makes life more interesting that way. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your sweet comment.
I feel just like that! I think it is a worldwide primal feeling. Our old queen in Netherlands (Wilhelmina) once wrote a book about it: Lonely, but not alone. Because God is on our side
Hello, Jedidja 🙂 and welcome! What a wonderful title for a book. I wonder, is it translated to English? Thank you for visiting from across the ocean and leaving your sweet comment for me.
Lonely truly does bring growth. It causes me to run into the arms of Jesus to find my worth and identity as well. Blessings!
Amen!
“Lonely makes me love all the more.” What an awesome way to look at it. My husband is away today and I’m going to focus on loving more.
thank you Pamela 🙂 I’m glad you came to visit today. I know you are missing your husband, but you’ll make it an awesome homecoming for him when he returns. Blessings!
Being alone can be wonderful — being lonely isn’t. I’m glad I’m not lonely today.
I do enjoy alone from time to time – lonely? not so much. I’m also glad you are not lonely today 🙂 Always glad to hear your thoughts, Kc! Enjoy the weekend.
What a lovely angle… with so much truth! Lonely DOES make us thankful for the times we have when we are surrounded and together! While I love FMF’s… I actually found you over at Barbie’s Weekend Brew today! I am glad that I did!
~Karrilee~
Hello, Karrilee 🙂 I’m glad to meet you! Thank you for stopping in and leaving your sweet comment. I’m enjoying posts from both FMF and Barbie’s Weekend Brew. Have a blessed weekend!
Oh, this pulled at my heart strings! Your words will make me look at the five faces around me at the table – and linger on them a little longer today! Thank you for this poignant reminder!
Hello Carrie 🙂 I’m so glad you stopped in today. I pray you enjoy your family this weekend, and every day. It’s been a full weekend of family activity for us this weekend – tiring but very fun. Blessings!
Sweet. And very poignant.
Thank you, Kate 🙂 I’m glad you stopped in for a visit. Have a blessed weekend!
“But, then, lonely makes me love all the more, makes me want to make the most of the moments I’m given with the ones I love.” Oh this is so true! Thank you for sharing! Blessings.
Hello, Beth 🙂 I’m glad you stopped by! I appreciate your sweet comment. Have a wonderful week.
So sweet! I have my g kids 4 days a week and miss them the days they are not here. Why is that? I see other grand parents who are fine without their families near. Yes, loneliness is a knowledgable teacher.
thanks Connie 🙂 I don’t get to see my grandkids daily, but I do miss them between times. Enjoy your weekend!