In my last post I mentioned the potential for loneliness when in your 70s, and I feel I ought to quantify my comment. Now...I really am a 'homebody' at heart. I don't mind my own company and get a lot of pleasure from music, books, crafting, sorting and tidying the house (actual housework....not so much!) but sometimes I need to hear a human voice, have a discussion, even about the British weather! When I don't feel able to see and talk to another human on a personal level, I can feel lonely.
I know how lucky I am to have a husband living in the same home, but sometimes I feel like a housekeeper. I keep house, order the shopping online, meal plan, cook, wash up, wash the laundry, dry it, do the ironing etc whilst my lifetime companion sits at his i-pad Candy Crush-ing or (as he insists) "researching" although Heaven knows what!!
I have to make the decisions regarding what to do each day. His standard response is "I don't mind. What do you want to do?"
I can't be alone in feeling this way. It will soon be our 54th wedding anniversary. I seem to have morphed from a mum of two with a very busy life, to a Nanna of 4 with a very close relationship to 2 of them, and now I've gone from babysitting to being no longer needed for anything! Empty nest??
I'm not moaning, really I'm not... but loneliness is a real issue.
Thank goodness for hobbies !
Can you relate to this ?
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On a much lighter note, do you remember the last photo of the cucumber plant with one very bendy fruit?
It actually put on a last spurt of growth! So this really IS the very last cucumber......
Number 23 😀
The task for the weekend (which I am delegating to Gray) is to clear the greenhouse and clean the glass ready for winter. I have other fish to fry....namely cardmaking for the Hospice....but I will, of course, be washing, cooking and making beds in between 😉
A woman's work is never done is it.....
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Thanks so much for popping in. Stay safe and well wherever you happen to be,
Have a great weekend,
Angie 💗
I became very isolated when we live in our narrow boat as Steve would never moor near other boats. When we gave up the boat I was really looking forward to having neighbours to socialise with. It's taken Steve three years but he has managed to stop me mixing with the neighbours and I've become isolated again. He is unhappy because I wish to leave and cannot understand why.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh... how depressing for you, Hester. He sounds very selfish to impose his dislike of socialising onto you too. I really hope that you can be strong and do what you want to do soon. Sending hugs xx
DeleteI relate to this post, from an active mum and nana, they grow up and although they still visit and call you are not the centre of their world. I too love to be home and can find loads to keep me entertained, my hubby does help out more he loves to bake and cook, he hates housework, so he does the laundry and ironing, I am in full control of the garden. I'm often told he is bored and then says where shall I take you?? It is as you say the human voice, asking anything other than household stuff. I have recently joined our local WI and hope to do a few more local things to get me out of the house.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to how you feel. Both my Husband and I share some hobbies but also have our own. We both go to Tai Chi once a week, book group once a month, he volunteers at the local museum and I volunteer reading at a junior school, he is a volunteer for the War Graves Commission and I belong to a singing group. We try to walk together every day, share gardening, share housework (I do nearly all the cooking and he does all the ironing) it all seems to work for us and this way we get circles of our own friends and acquaintances which I think is important. It is hard once the family "grow up" I think that's why it is important to have individual hobbies and interests. Just speaking to someone in a shop can boost one's spirit. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
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