Time will tell.....

Last week I noticed an old man sitting alone in church, hunched over, trying not to doze off. I had a very sympathetic reaction...'Poor guy, living alone. What does he do all day?...must get pretty board. I bet he hates going grocery shopping alone. I feel so bad for him. He looks sad, sitting there....all alone. He must miss his wife all the time.' After my moment of compassion or sympathy or pity, whatever it was, I realized there are also plenty of women who sit alone. I never feel sorry for them. I never think that they must be lonely. I admire their strength and and a life well lived.

What causes this dichotomy of thought? I guess I have this idea that after a lifetime of being married, when one loses their spouse, women seem pull through while the poor men suffer. True or not, where does this idea come from? (and I'm not saying the women don't miss their husbands, I just imagine they fare better than their widowed counterparts.)

Funny, because it seems as though the stereo-type of the pre-marriage individual is that men love the single life and fear the commitment marriage brings, while women long to have a companion to take care of them and to spend all sorts of quality time with.

When does the table turn when women find that they can take care of themselves if needed and men realize how good married life has been to them all along ? Or is this just some strange notion I have with no solid footing. Am I totally off my rocker? Should our husbands (or future husbands) pray they don't out live us women?

In the mean time, enjoy life, every moment of it...get a little crazy if you have to.

P.S. Steve, I love you and hope we enjoy a long life together...and I will try to plan on living longer.