Lonely In A Crowd

Just a quick post, because VBS family night wore me out! I talked to a fellow church member tonight whose daughter-in-law lost her home and all of her possessions in the flood. Sadly, this woman had lost her husband not long before the flood, so this loss has been especially hard on her. Family photos had become even more of a treasure to her and her children. I can't identify with the death of a spouse, but there is one part of this that I can identify with, and it has been more difficult than I would have anticipated. Going through this tragedy as a single person has been very painful. I don't often feel bad for myself that I'm not married, but going to meetings and making decisions like this alone has not been easy. It's not easy on anyone, but I find myself feeling envious of couples answering questions to the housing counselors or standing together as they look upon their loss. They don't have any more money or help than I do, but they have each other to lean on. Friends and family have been great, but it's not the same. They go to bed together at night knowing that there is somebody with-in an arm's reach if needed at any time. When it rains, and the irrational fear that it will happen again haunts your heart, it must be some comfort to have your beloved by your side. So, to be honest, it makes me jealous and sad, and I'm sure that it is harder on my friend who lost her husband so recently, because this is a vivid reminder of how alone we sometimes feel.