Dear Maggie Montclair,
It is Sunday, again. The longest afternoon of the week. I have been widowed two years and really do quite well until Sunday afternoon. Why does this time seem so long and make me depressed? What do you and Gertie do to keep from sitting home alone feeling sorry for yourself?
Sad on Sunday
Dear Sad on Sunday,
Yours is a universal problem for widows. No one has come up with a good explanation about why, just that it is.
Find activities that work for you. I like to call a few friends and go see a movie and then have an early dinner together. It is also a good time to get a few ladies together for cards, bowling or a matinee at your local playhouse.
If you live in a small town, you really need to be creative. I know one woman who started a quilting group. Now, ten women make beautiful quilts, and just three years ago, only one knew how. So, if you know someone who has a skill, ask if she would be willing to teach others. Most artistic people love to share their talent and work with others. It is good for the creative juices. M
P.S. My friend Gertie's brother's wife's cousin was a wonderful artist. She painted all of her life, but without commercial success. A friend asked her to start a painting class for her widows group on Sunday afternoons. On that first Sunday, six women showed up. More came the next week and it was obvious that they had to change locations. The church allowed them to use a basement room, and they were on their way. The students insisted on paying her a small fee for her expertise. It was amazing what those women produced.
They had an art show and sold paintings to raise money for the local Senior Center. Their 'art class' has been written up in the newspaper, and the television station from the nearest city has interviewed them and shown their work. All this because one widow decided to do something about lonely Sunday afternoons.
