Last year, I worked at a really awesome clothing store in my college town. I dealt with a ton of people on a daily basis, helping them find cute outfits or with returns and all that fun stuff. I also talked to all of the customers. It was our point to localize the customers, make them feel at home and comfortable in their own skin. I’m a huge people person, so this came fairly easily for me. People are really open to their stylists as odd as it may sound, but I was always thankful for that!
One day, I was ringing up a customer who picked out a black dress. As part of my usual dialogue, I asked her if there was a special occasion for the dress.
“I’m having a divorce party,” she said without hesitation and no hatred in her voice.
It made me smile.
“Congratulations!” I said back to her. I continued ringing her up and she smiled too.
“Thank you! Everyone is telling me how sorry they are for my divorce. I want to celebrate it! I’m happy now!”
So I told her, “Do what you need to do to be happy,” and that was pretty much the end of our conversation.
Gurl. That is straight up so inspiring, because while it’s pretty courageous to put yourself through the emotional tolls of a divorce, there’s still the fact that someone wanted that divorce. She wasn’t happy before so she took the steps she needed to in order to happy again. And she did it by herself!
I’ve seen this stigma that people who are single or don’t have kids when they’re older are assumed to be unhappy and lonely. But maybe the shit they went through before was bad enough to make them happier alone. And that’s just fine. You have no emotional ties to anyone. You can travel or have a really aggressive time consuming career. You can pour your heart and soul into a dog, because dogs are freaking great, amirite?
If having a boyfriend or a girlfriend or an imaginary friend is what it takes to make you feel whole and makes you who you are, then that is amazing. And if being by yourself is what makes you you and makes you happy, then do it! Someday you might find someone who makes life better and then you won’t wanna be alone anymore, and that’s great too.
It’s okay.
P.S. If this article did nothing for you, just remember that bacon never hurt you and bacon will always be there for you.
