Big tugboat pushing 15 barges upriver.
This has been a busy and really FAST couple of weeks! The trip to Tennessee and bookend stayovers in Kentucky took me to Tuesday. Thursday was a quick overnight to the other side of the state. I no sooner got back into town late yesterday afternoon when the phone started ringing. Drinks and apps with one friend, several phone calls when I got home, then a later dinner with another group of friends. I have never socialized as much in my life as I have here in WV. I have met some of the nicest people and reconnected with friends from high school that I hadn’t seen in years.
One of the most difficult things a widow often faces is loneliness. So often, our spouse is our best friend and we don’t kindle new friendships or nurture old ones because our time is taken up by our relationship. I always had this deep, nearly unrecognized feeling that I wouldn’t have Mr. Virgo very long so I spent every moment with him. Consequently, I found myself having to build a social network when he was gone by reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Fortunately, I have no trouble making friends. My youngest says I could talk to a tree.
If you have trouble finding friends, think of something you enjoy doing…riding bikes, kayaking, walking, gardening, to name just a few…and join a club. Ask at church. Take a class. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation. I met the gal I had dinner with last night at a vendor/craft show last November when I was visiting my cousin. We just hit it off right away and bonded. I’ve made great friends through Facebook. One of my friends grew up a block from me but I never met her till last year when I was driving cross country. She was following my journey through a mutual friend. Patti and Carol and Vicky were either Sisters on the Fly or Marshmallow Ranch followers. I can’t stress enough the importance of finding your tribe. I don’t want to grow old alone. I want lots of people in my world. It makes life interesting.
❤
“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”
Proverbs 14:1
Stern wheeler – Valley Gem out on a party cruise.
River traffic.
Germany Valley, WV
The Elusive Potato Fondant. Found in the general store at Seneca Rocks on Thursday.
One of the many faces of the river.