Sitting alone

To: The woman sitting alone at church,

There are several reasons why you might be sitting alone at church.  Maybe you've never been married.  In that case, you don’t have anyone to sit by.  I can imagine that this is hard, but I don’t pretend to know what that feels like.

Maybe you have been married, but your husband has passed away.  He would be sitting next to you if he could, but he is no longer able to.  I can imagine that this is lonely and painful, but again, I don’t pretend to know what that feels like.

Maybe your husband has a calling that takes him away from you during church.  Maybe he is in a stake calling.  This is difficult.  I’ve been in this situation before.  It’s hard.  Especially when you have little kids.  However, you know that what your husband is doing is a good thing.  He’s fulfilling his calling and trying to be a good man and member of the church.  You know that eventually you won't be sitting alone anymore.

Maybe you are divorced.  I almost know what this feels like.  This is incredibly painful   You had planned to have someone to sit next to forever.  It’s hard when things don’t go according to your plan.  Hopefully, you have found peace because if you are divorced, there was probably a reason, and you don't actually WANT to be sitting next to that person anymore.

Maybe…  Maybe you’re like me.  Maybe you still have a husband.  Maybe your husband used to sit next to you.  Maybe you naively assumed he would always sit next to you.  Maybe now he’s not, and not because of something out of his control or because he’s doing a calling that takes him away from sitting next to you.  Maybe he’s not sitting next to you because he doesn’t want to sit next to you.  This is club that I never wanted to belong to.  I didn’t see you before I joined this club.  Now I do. This is a painful and lonely reason to sit alone.   I’m so sorry.  

Love, 

Another woman sitting alone at church


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