10 Reasons Not To Be Single
No one in a long relationship has not sometimes wished they
were single again. And no, most often it's not because of the
interesting blonde that has just started working in the distribution
section.
Often it is just a desire to lie on your bed, alone, reading
a good book, while all around you is quiet and you are having
camembert and beetroot and melon for supper.
But then, there are also those times you are so glad you are
not on your own. And that's not only at Christmas or on Valentine's
Day.
1. Household hurricane.
The morning after a party in your house, you view the debris
littering the lounge, kitchen and the garden. The thought of
cleaning it all up yourself is enough to make you get back into
bed. But having someone chatting to you while you both clean
up makes it all so much easier.
2. Instant babysitter.
There's a crisis at the office on a Sunday or your mother suddenly
needs to be taken to hospital. Your spouse can simply take over
and look after the children. Imagine if you were on your own,
you might have had to lug them with you, and the smaller they
are, the bigger a performance this is.
3. Someone on your side.
If you've had a bad day at work or you've had a fight with your
mother, your partner can always (OK, most of the time) be relied
upon to support you and take your side. Or take you out for
supper if you're really stressed or at least give you a foot
massage. If these things are not true for you, what are you
still doing in this relationship?
4. Look what your son has done.
The duties of parenthood become a shared responsibility. There
is another pair of hands that can change nappies, take kids
to the doctor, entertain toddlers and deal with the teacher/school
when there is a problem. Also someone else who can partially
shoulder the responsibility when you child bites another preschooler
or throws up on the couch minutes before your dinner guests
arrive. There's also someone else to celebrate your child's
achievements with - who cares as much as you do.
5. Cocooning. Sunday mornings
or holidays or whenever, it is sometimes very pleasant to just
withdraw into your own world. Disconnect the phone, forget about
the rest of the world, have a good snuggle, or more, if you're
lucky and just be on your own together.
6. Movers and shakers.
When anything has to be carried, or shifted or moved, it is
always better to have someone who can help. While this on its
own is not exactly a good reason to start a relationship, many
hands do make light work. You try and move the fridge on your
own or cart a month's grocery shopping from the car.
7. A shoulder to cry on.
Sometimes you feel just plain miserable - it's Sunday night,
the cat's sick, you're not looking forward to work Monday morning
and your sister insulted your new hairstyle. The TV on its own
just won't do and you're not in the type of mood where you feel
like going out. Then it's nice to have someone who will give
you a hug and make you a cup of tea.
8. No more first date jitters.
Remember the terror of first dates? Having a partner means those
are over, at least for the time being. You still take trouble
with your appearance, but no longer feel you have to go out
on a shopping spree to find something new to wear so you can
go to the movies. And what's more, sex is not such a rare commodity
in your life as it might have been before.
9. Dual income. In these
economic times, this makes a huge difference. If you suddenly
have too much month at the end of your money, you can always
ask for a small loan. If this happens every month, though, there
could be a problem. If you want to buy a house together, you
will also qualify for a much bigger loan than you would on your
own.
10. Family fiasco. Lots
of things can go wrong with families - from your younger brother
losing his job to your partner's mother hitting the bottle or
getting sick to your sister-in-law walking out on her husband.
These things are always easier to cope with if you have some
measure of support from a partner. They can also give perspective
to you and make you feel less alone when having to make difficult
decisions regarding family members.