I am a single woman who decided years ago that I wanted a child no matter what.
asserted
I → decide → child
I have raised my son on my own, completely, with the love and support of my family and friends.
asserted
I → raise → family
However, to do so, I have worked from home since his arrival.
asserted
I → do → arrival
My schedule is 100 per cent built around his, which obviously changes year to year, season to season.
asserted
which → build → season
At first, I worked around feeding, naps and baby classes; that morphed into nursery and toddler activities; and that changed with full-time school coupled with after-school activities.
asserted
that → work → activities
My schedule is ever-changing, but manageable.
asserted
schedule → change → ?
But now, my son has just started high school and I’m feeling lost.
asserted
I → start → school
We don’t walk to school in the morning, and he definitely does NOT want me waiting for him outside to walk home.
asserted
me → walk → him
I understand it; this is what’s supposed to happen.
asserted
what → understand → it
But I’m feeling lost without a community.
asserted
I → feel → community
I hear you and understand you completely.
asserted
I → hear → you
Working from home is a luxury, but it can also be very, very lonely.
asserted
it → work → home
Your son is doing all the right things by growing up, and I hate to say, pulling away.
asserted
I → do → things
So, let’s find you a new community, or a few friends from your old community who may be feeling the same as you.
uncertain
who → let → you
Send a group email to your mom friends who you think might be looking for something to fill the void.
uncertain
you → send → void
Offer up suggestions, such as a weekly fun round-robin tennis game twice a week in the morning when you used to walk your kids to school and grab coffee; or just meet them for coffee; or an afternoon run during the old pickup hour.
asserted
you → offer → hour
When my mom started working in an office, I was eight.
asserted
I → start → office
She had freelanced and been a stay-at-home mom in the beginning.
asserted
She → freelance → beginning
She told me that for several years (!!), she would feel anxious at 3:30 pm in the afternoon, which was when she used to pick me up from school.
asserted
she → tell → school
Old habits die hard, and once a mom, always a mom (no dis to dads).
asserted
habits → die → dads
My best friend has asked me to ask you this question because she’s embarrassed to ask herself.
asserted
she → ask → herself
She likes a guy in our drama class at school, but he ignores her completely.
asserted
he → like → her
None of the boys admit to enjoying the class, and they all act like jerks during that period.
asserted
they → admit → period
I don’t even get why she likes him.
asserted
she → get → him
But she does, and she wants to know what she can do to get him to like her back.
asserted
him → want → her
What should I tell her?
asserted
I → tell → her
He’s ignoring her because he probably is ignoring every girl in the class, not just her.
asserted
he → ignore → class
She sees it as though it’s specific to her, but it’s probably not.
asserted
it → see → her
She could also just be her cool, fun self and get to know him as a classmate and friend.
uncertain
She → get → classmate
Maybe they could pair up together for an assignment.
uncertain
they → pair → assignment
At your age, you feel as though you’re under a microscope; that everyone is watching your every move, hears your every breath, notices your every blackhead.
asserted
everyone → feel → blackhead
It’s not so.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Do it with her and see how you both feel afterward.
asserted
you → do → her
I bet you stand taller and care a little less about what other people think.
asserted
people → bet → what
Reader: “This reminded me of the same thing happening to me.
asserted
This → remind → me
My friend of over 50 years also stopped responding to birthday greetings from me and not reaching out on mine.
asserted
friend → stop → mine
She stopped emailing, and when I called, it went to voicemail.
asserted
it → stop → voicemail
I contacted her son to ask if his parents were OK, and he said his mom was getting hearing aids and said he would ask her to contact me.
asserted
he → contact → me
She did send one email, but with little information, and then ended the communication entirely.
asserted
She → send → communication
“This went on for two years until finally her husband, who had serious health issues himself, called to let me know she had dementia and couldn’t communicate with me anymore.
asserted
she → go → me
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
