My friend has a sister-in-law who lives alone in a retirement community. Here husband passed away a little over a year ago. She and her husband had very few friends because they did everything together. After her husband died, she found herself getting more and more lonely to the point where she was very unhappy. One day, as she was complaining about her situation, my friend suggested that she invite some widows she knew to her place for cookies and coffee. At first this woman balked at this idea because it was outside of her comfort zone. As time passed and she got lonelier, she rethought the idea and out of desperation invited several of her widowed acquaintances. Everyone had such a good time at this event, they wanted to do it again. Now they rotate every week regarding who is hosting the party and my friend’s sister-in-law couldn’t be happier. This small step outside her comfort zone completely changed her life for the better.

One Sentence Wisdom

• “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” — Mother Teresa
• “Solitude is pleasant. Loneliness is not.” — Anna Neagle

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