To think being single is amazing!

But i also hope (and not in a pitying poor you way) that you one day meet a decent kind man who loves you the way you deserve. A good relationship makes life easier. A bad one makes it all much harder. I hope you find a good one soon.

Why? The whole point of the OP's post was that she loves being single,so why would you wish for her to find a man?

I too am so much healthier single.

Daily exercise, 8 hours of sleep, clean diet, minimal alcohol, low stress levels, high self esteem.

It’s bliss.

I’ve been single for 10 years now, also childfree, and I simply couldn’t live life any other way. This is how I’m happiest & healthiest. I have family & friends, a busy social life, a career I enjoy & the cats. That’s all I want.

If someone IRL told me they pitied me I think I’d just laugh at them.

I soon came to realise how happy i was just being on my own learning more about me.Single 9 years now and would never change it.I dont miss anything a man can offer.I do what i want when i want how i want no compromising.My home is spotless and no clutter things are where i left them.Dont have to cook no sulking man child.My list is long and its blissful.I only have to read MN most days to see how lucky i am.

Oh, sometimes I do dream of being single again!

“festering” ha ha
This farting phenomenon will have been well covered here?

When I was divorcing, I attended 3 different female divorce lawyers,
over quite a long period.
Anyway, all three of them, worldly, cynical, told similar stories,
of women not too sure if they were doing the right thing… talking
themselves around, concluding with
“ At least I won’t have to put up with all that farting.”
Every single one.
Her female clients included a Circuit Judge, doctors, a famous movie actress
Farting knows no social/economic/dietary boundaries apparently.

We can see here that you also talked yourself around to the right way of thinking

Strong chemicals will keep you from that 5 second weakness

Is this normal?
I was clearly amused by the now removed comment but cannot remember
what was said.

‘even though he would have said yes” - asking permission -

reminded me of an encounter with a middle aged neighbour walking two puppies,
told me her husband had reluctantly driven her to ‘look’ at the litter, she really wanted one, he capitulated, bought her a pup, the last puppy cried and fussed,
so after much pleading he agreed to buy her both and drove back next day to
fetch him
She related this tale, then, coyly, in a little girl whispery voice,
“I always get my own way eventually, do you?”
I was astounded
She knew I lived alone - who am I going to have to work my womanly wiles on?
If I wanted a puppy I would go out and buy one, no permission or husband’s money would be part of any transaction.

Any woman with a short temper, rebellious spirit, high expectations, dull husband,
post menopausal, own funds, can be single, it is a wonderful state, not carrying the negative connotations it did even Ten years ago.

It’s absolutely freeing.

When you live alone, responsible for only yourself, or pets of course,
there are no disappointments, or very few as anyone can have a bad day.
When you live with a husband and have reasonable behavioural expectations
of another adult which are determinedly not met, when there is immense unhappiness, the feeling of liberation when you drive away after 16 years of
misery is wonderful, not to be surrendered, the gamble too heavily weighted.

I'm older than you but I couldn't agree more.

I have my home, my career, my child, my income, my pension. I have a clean tidy home. Colourful, light, happy, well maintained, cheerful, filled with music and culture.

No drunkenness, no keeping up with the neighbours, no spending stupid amounts on cars, no financial shocks, no sleeping with a barmaid and then demanding half the house even if it leaves his child homeless. No aggression, no bullying. Being single is the clearly the best choice for me.

I miss the intimacy of a physical relationship but not enough to jeopardise my and my child's safety & security.

I get this, I'm in a similar boat. I might have had a chance to go out and socialise if my ex hadn't abandoned our son but he would never have done anything that meant I had a life. I did have a FWB for a good while and that suited me until our individual needs changed. I don't miss a man, but I do miss sex. It's just become part and parcel of the situation really.

Me too! I almost fell over myself to click on it!

Depends I think, I'm a single parent and don't like being single. But then I've been single for 8 years (no choice about that as their father isn't involved so dating isn't possible) I'm lonely and miss having someone to talk to that cares about me I also miss sex because I've been celibate for 8 years... yes people say you don't have to be celibate if you are single but personally casual sex isn't for me so I miss that aspect of a relationship. I enjoyed being single for the first 4/5 years as I was just busy raising my children didn't really think about a man but now find the prospect of being single for the rest of my life now kind of depressing. Also what annoys me is people who have been single for 8 months telling me I have to learn to "love myself" and "enjoy being alone" when they have only been single a matter of months of course you love it 🙄 pretty different to nearly a decade!

Been single for almost 17 years. Lived alone for 14. In between, lived with my parents.

Love being single as can:
. Eat
. TV
. go to bed
. play music

what you like or when you like

@RoachFish I think if it as an act of violence. The impact is huge. I also ended up with cancer and I am certain that that contributed. My body was in fight or flight mode for years. Constant relentless stress. Therapy helps an awful lot. Indeed the psychotherapy I had via Macmillan was life changing.

I agree you don't see many women like that but they do exist. After years of gaslighting and cheating and treating me like shit, my ex ran off with a woman who is an psychopathic control freak. I think he's met his match! 🤷🏻‍♀️. I find that a lot of single men in the mid 50's age bracket are single because they've been terrible husbands or fathers or they have cheated or been abusive . I realise this is a huge generalisation but it is my experience. I don't want any of that thanks!

I’ve been in an appalling relationship, single and with dp for 20 years. I can honestly say that I love being in a relationship, it’s silly things , like being able to complain in a way that would bore friends silly ! I guess we are all different.

Yes, I am in therapy and trying to figure this out. It did a lot more damage to me than I first realised. I think initially I was just so elated to have been able to get out of the relationship, the level of damage it caused hit me later. It's shocking though how many men still thinks it's OK to manipulate and gaslight women. I really don't think it's quite so common for women to do that to men. At least not when we have reached our 40s.

It might be worth considering doing the Freedom Programme. I found it helpful in that I could unravel why I always seem to pick people with issues and why I feel I could somehow fix them. I now look in horror at some of my friend's husbands and the behaviour that their wives tolerate. What a waste of their lives.

I’m 66 and have been single for more years than I care to remember. I’ve just retired but have a new part time job that I love, I’m lucky to have a wide variety of friends, have an amazing family and to be truthful there is no space or desire in my life for a partner!
Mind you, if you had told me 25 years ago, after my divorce, that I would be single for the rest of my life, then I would’ve been distraught!

You're so very very wrong.

Same, OP. I know there are some people on this thread who simply don't feel like it's possible for anyone to be happy and content single, but I thrive on it.

I love spending time by myself, absolutely adore living alone, thoroughly enjoy not having to consult anyone before I do whatever I want to do, and have zero issues socialising or making friends as a single woman.

If I met someone so wonderful I couldn't imagine spending my life without them, I'm sure that would be wonderful, but I still cannot see myself ever living with someone or getting married - I value my freedom and independence way too much and need a high amount of alone time.

So many people seem to be stuck in relationships that don't make them happy, or have them making compromises they don't want to make, or enduring abysmal behaviour from a partner. I know it's not true for everyone, but the odds of finding a genuinely loving and supportive long-term relationship are at very best 50/50 from what I have witnessed in my own friendship circle, and I definitely do not feel like I'm missing out on much!

@TheFormidableMrsC I am also scarred from a bad and long marriage and every man I have met and started a relationship with since has been manipulative love bombers. I am glad I have been able to spot it early and ended things but I can see that, just like you, my judgement can't be trusted and then it's just not worth the risk when I am already happy as I am.

Same here! No intentions of living with someone again. It's a shame how some people always pity those that are single

Yes I get a lot of this. Why haven't I found somebody, wouldn't it be lovely for my son, you're attractive, you shouldn't be alone etc. I remember when my now ex MIL said to me just after my husband upended my life that "this time next year you'll have met somebody lovely and would have settled again". She couldn't have been more wrong. It took me a good five or six years to recover from my divorce and a lot of counselling. I don't want to be pitied or defined by having a man. It's ridiculous.

I'm approaching 11 years single. I was deeply scarred by my ex husband. I can't bring myself to consider another relationship. I've got so many friends around me in shitty marriages who are utterly miserable but too scared to go it alone. I will never put myself in that position again. I also don't want to inflict anybody on my young son. I don't trust my judgement at all.

So I've learned to accept being single. I don't have to consider anybody but my child. I can come and go as I please, watch what I want, go to bed when I want. It's a kind of freedom that I value. Never again!!