Will a desirable man take me under his wing? I wouldn't mind a little shelter from the storm, a little back up, a little relief when I'm on overload. Though I have enough faith in God's love to meet my fear, it isn't enough to ease real time overload and erase my loneliness as a woman. I need people. I need a central love relationship. I'm trying to get along without it, and it's darn hard.
The help I need now is light years away from the type I needed in widowhood's first years. Remember Maslow's hierarchy of needs? I've been addressing these from day one. Had to. Physiological needs - settled. Safety needs - settled. Love/belonging needs - in process. Esteem needs - in process. Self-actualization needs - in process. At best my last three needs are met sporadically. How do I make do with the sporadic connections of single life? I want the consistency and sex and the give and take of a primary relationship! So much for shelter by a desirable man.
Instead, I find my own wings are healed enough to offer shelter. I invited neighbors over last week for my first dinner party. My fear of being a capable enough hostess was allayed with enough preparation to actually enjoy the company. Cleaning the house was number one. A good enough meal was number two. Enough wine was number three. Can I grow into being a decent hostess? I hope so! I hope that hospitality may be a way of addressing my need for love and belonging. Goodness knows dating isn't. Maybe someday... In the meantime, family fits the bill for love and belonging, without the sex. Neighbors fit the bill as well as they can. They are less transient than most group activities I'd be a part of. I really don't want transience. The pain from the transience of my husband's life was more than enough for a while.
Life is transient. Shelter, anyone?
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