There are plenty of things that I don’t love about being single since my marriage of more than thirty years ended: it can often be a very lonely life. I sometimes wish I had someone to talk with about ideas or plans or family issues. I wouldn’t mind having another body in my house to do a chore or two (not that I ever had that kind of help when I was married!). And, it’s not that great to watch the Academy Awards by myself (My dog, Red, hasn’t seen any of the movies. Haha!).

But, when I find that I am feeling sorry for myself about being single, I have to remind myself about all of the things that are really great about being single at this stage of my life.

Here are a few:

It’s dinner time and I have nothing in the fridge. No worries. There is a bag of popcorn and a half gallon of ice-cream at my fingertips!

Let’s see, I have no plans to go anywhere today so I think I will brush my teeth. That’s it. Yoga pants, sweatshirt, brushed teeth. Then, when I go to bed, I will brush my teeth again.

There is not a sports event of any kind on a television around me. Unless it’s the Super Bowl (I get up to go to the bathroom during the game and return to watch the commercials), I don’t even know what’s happening in that world. I don’t mind watch sports for a while, but that continuous drone of games on TV as background noise all day is no longer part of my life.

I have a pink sofa. That’s right, my living room has a pink sofa in it. My bed has a pink blanket on it. I have some new dishes that are pink. I get to be a girl and decorated my new abode for me and me alone. While it isn’t a very frilly place, it is clear that a girl lives here and I love it. Everything is bright and cheery and just a little girly.

If there is a pile of clothes on the floor, it’s my pile. If there are dishes in the sink, they are mine. Honestly, my place is always clean, something I have never experienced. I had only heard tell of a land where the homes remained clean for more than a day.

Let me add the fact that I get all the closet space and all the bathroom counter space. And, I don’t go to sleep with the sports on in the background.

Listen, I thought I would be married forever and I will always regret that it didn’t happen, mostly for my children. But, I’ve learned to celebrate the pieces of my life that I really enjoy, and there are plenty of those.

What do you like about being single and over 50? There is so much life to enjoy during this act of our lives. I can’t wait to hear from you.