Home Alone

Oh, To Be Home Alone…

To be home alone is an unusual opportunity for me. It’s like a solar eclipse, rare but spectacular. You might think what a horrible thing to say about your family, but consider.  We are surrounded by people throughout the day—at our jobs, at church, in the store, even at home.

Solitude is something that I value highly. So when an opportunity comes that I am home by myself, I revel in it. I watch what I want on TV. Working on a manuscript without interruption is a breeze. There’s no one to confine me to the bedroom to work on a blog because someone else has hogged the kitchen table with a project. I can eat what I want, when I want, where I want, and I can go where I want to go! Who wouldn’t want to have that kind of a life?

Not Everyone Likes Being Alone…

Well, I can tell you there are millions of people out there who would not recommend it. But that’s another blog. The problem for me comes at bedtime. I go around the house to make sure everything is locked up because my protector is not here. I go to bed, pull the covers up to my chin, and miss the kisses and hugs I get from my daughters. Then, invariably, I can’t go to sleep. In fact, I stay up well into the night doing a lot of stuff. So when I finally try to get some sleep, it’s very late, and I’m nervous.

Crazy Thoughts…

My mind wanders. What if someone breaks in? What if somebody tries to hurt or kill me? You may not know this, but I have a very active imagination. I’m one of those rare people who think ROUSs wander around the house in the middle of the night, foraging for food like toes that are hanging out from under the covers. If you don’t get that movie reference, then you need to watch The Princess Bride—one of the funniest movies in the history of mankind.

If I had seen that movie as a child, I would never have spent the night in the backyard in a sleeping bag. And, I would have missed out on so much fun. Sleeping in the backyard is a rite of passage. It shows that you’re brave and independent. And, if something frightens you in the middle of the night, you can run back into the house like a little girl (which I happened to be). Sleeping in the backyard also can lead to waking up to some fantastically beautiful sunrises while enjoying the freshest air.

Solitude! It’s a beautiful thing when it’s needed.

But the best thing about solitude is this—you are never alone.

In Hebrews 13:5b-6, Scripture tells us the following:

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

So, do not fear being alone. You are never truly alone. God is with you wherever you go. He always has been and always will be! Amen

Here is chapter five of Going the Distance. God bless and keep you all!

Chapter 5-Kylee’s Story