A Horrible, Miserable Person

Funny thing about hitting middle age, never married, and shockingly, somehow no surprise babies... if you dwell on it long enough, one might conclude the only way to get there is to be some horrible, miserable person. Someone so unappealing, with no redeeming qualities that would make it quite obvious why no one would devote his life to you.

It's one thing to feel undeserving of babies, quite another to be undeserving of love.

But then again, God doesn't award points on a merit system. Grace and gifts are not earned. Some people are just really lucky to find love, and others less so.

I found a comment in my spam folder, for my last post. Some blogless blogger (only has a blog ID to leave comments for others, not a blogger themselves) suggests that I should look at myself, to understand why I'm in the position I'm in.
As if a woman who has dated as much as I have, and been alive as long as I have, hasn't thought of that! As if there isn't a night that I climb into my empty bed and wonder what I've failed to do in my life up to this point.

Like I haven't asked all my friends and a few strangers what I'm doing wrong?

Yes, I recently dated someone who was crazy about me. He treated me like a queen and wanted nothing more than to make me happy. Is there something wrong with me that I just didn't feel the same for him? There were differences in our faith. There were differences in our entire lives! He had his three kids, and as much as he wanted to make me happy, was not willing or able to have another, so that I could experience motherhood. Even so, that wasn't the end game... but there were enough differences to point to the end.  Does that make me a horrible person? Undeserving of love?

It bugs me enough to wonder if I turned down the one man on earth who would love me.  But I don't miss him. Sure I think about him, because I grew to care about him, and his kids to some degree. I don't miss the idea of a life with him. So that's a sign I think.

I ponder daily, why this is my plight. To desire love but never find it.
Sometimes I think my placement on this earth was a mistake. Being adopted, it's likely I was one convincing argument away from being aborted. Considering the abundance of fatal food allergies I deal with... and the fact that I recently survived an eerant crustacean in my meal after several injections of life saving serums, it seems God is keeping me alive for a reason.

It is, though, incredibly hard to believe that my life will include a loving husband - forget about children at this point!

And there's something about the way our culture brought us up. Led to believe if we were reasonably pretty, thin and healthy, faithful to God and family, kind and helpful to other people, and not a crazy @$$ b!tch... that someone would appreciate us, love us and want to grow old caring for each other.
On my worst days, I look around and see fat, ugly people with husbands and children. And they're mean too! I know, I've worked in a children's portrait studio, I've met the people who should never have children - but they have them!

I know that's not charitable thinking... but then neither are the thoughts in my spam folder.

Yes, I have considered my actions in life that brought me where I am today. Yes, I've sought counsel to pull out of my own thoughts and consider an unbiased opinion. The result? A priest offered that some men are just jerks.... and a professional offered that its not me, it's the men.

I'm not a horrible, miserable person undeserving of love. I dare say I'm not hard to love either. Just unappreciated. But I am here for a reason. I'm getting an emergency room bill in the mail soon to prove it.

Like No Other

It came like an epiphany. Though, once I had time to mull it over, it's something I've known all along - or at least suspected.

A co-worker, hearing the latest of my adventures in dating, said, "Your dating life is like no one else I know."

What do you mean? 

You always date these good guys - you don't do anything wrong - but it always ends in such a strange way.  

You mean how they tell me how great I am, that I meet all their criteria, but, "No thanks"?  

Yes. Exactly. 

That doesn't happen to other people you know? 

No one. 

So you're saying, other people just meet someone they match with and it works out? 

Yeah. 

Or it obviously doesn't.

She nods.

Yep. That's the story of my life alright!

I'm not dating guys who are all wrong for me. No one abusive, or out of my league or whatever.

I'm not going pshyco-b!tch on them.

Everything is great until they say, "No thanks."  Not in those words, but ultimately, that's it.

Even better, they tell me how I'm everything they're looking for - but they're willing to pass it up.

So strange.

It makes me think that God really wants me to be alone for some reason that He won't reveal to me. No matter how much I ask. No matter how much I beg through prayer to be relieved of the desire for a husband.

This is the first thing I'll ask God when I see Him face-to-face. Why? For what purpose?


For anyone questioning my motives - why don't I just quit dating? I have. I don't pursue. But when I agree with God that clearly, He wants me to be alone... whether it's for now, or forever... I can only be obedient if I acknowledge that I'll accept the man he brings me - either the one I trip over or the one who trips over me (Why do I have a feeling it's going to be messy?)
As I did in my youth, I will go out with whomever asks me. If someone wants to date me, I feel I am obedient to God to go spend time with him.
As another friend recently pointed out, I'm rarely lacking for dates. Just husbands.
I guess I'm attractive enough, friendly enough, charming enough to attract men. And apparently to stun them into retreat!