8 Ideas for People Who Live Alone

There are 35 million people who live alone in America.

According to Pew Research, 27 percent of Americans who are older than 60 years live alone, about twice the average percentage of the 130 countries in the study.

I joined that 60-plus group in 2020 at the age of 74 when my wife of 33 years was admitted to Assisted Living after 10 years of slow but steady decline in health due to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Before retirement, I had never slept well when away on business travel. And the first day that she was not there was one of the longest nights of my life. People can be physically gone but their spirit lingers.

It has taken eleven months, but I have found my way despite the double-whammy created by the arrival of COVID-19 that restricted socialization and limited and even eliminated visits from family.

But, resiliency in life is what keeps us hopeful and looking for the answer to the question, how do I find my way? Here are eight ideas for people who live alone.

1. People need people. You can read a book on the freedom and independence that comes with living alone. It’s actually true. But, it is no substitute for having someone in your life where love abides. It’s not a relationship where you just find a rhythm; it is a dynamic that brings a spark to each day.

Without such a person, when you are alone, you can still build a network of family and friends who add to your life. Old/young, men/women…