7 November 2012

Solitude and balance

I love being alone. There is something about living alone for a few days that puts life into perspective and cleanses the soul. It does for me anyway. When a house that is usually full of the noise of domestic activity falls silent, it brings me back into myself and all of a sudden there are new possibilities; I see things differently. There is the opportunity for work to be done when I feel like it, not when it is usually done. I don't mind telling you that the past couple of months have been really tough going. Since Hanno's accident and subsequent illnesses, many trips out to the hospital and therapist, dealing with my work and his, and trying to write, has been exhausting and on the razor's edge of impossible. We got through it by knowing that life would return to what we think of as normal when the time was right for it.

This is a winter shawl I'm making for myself using leftover bits of organic cotton.

These months have been a valuable reminder to me that life is not always sunshine and cups of tea in the garden. The easiness of life is balanced out, sooner or later, by the not so easy. There is always balance.

Just Frankie, the tea and me.

So where is Hanno? He's driving to Sydney with his relatives. They'll stay at Manly beach for a few days,  have a few days in the Blue Mountains and then come home again. After a few days here, they'll all be off again, with Jens and Cathy as well, up to the Carnarvon Gorge, Longreach, the Whitsunday Islands and through Gladstone to see Shane, Sarndra and Alex. And all the time I will be here doing what I do and enjoying the solitude. There is no place I would rather be, no finer house, no cleaner air to breathe, nowhere better to wake up.

Looking over from my reading spot, the back garden at 4pm.

Today the travellers left at 5.30am and I fussed outside over the chooks and garden for an hour or so. After breakfast of crumpets and tea I left the dishes in the sink and started organising myself for some writing I should have started six weeks ago. I worked for a few hours, then sorted through some fabric and yarn before Cathy came over and we went to the post office to send off a book to Kuwait. Back home again I read for a while and although I had a few things I could be doing, I  just ambled along, enjoying the silence and knowing that for dinner all I would be cooking was two poached eggs and some toast. Life's like that. One day it's chicken and vegetable casserole for six, the next it's poached eggs for one. There is always balance.

I am an introvert and I appreciate and enjoy solitude. Do you like being alone?


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75 comments

  1. Life does have a way of balancing things out.

    I have been thinking of you and Hanno a lot with his accident and illnesses and all the while knowing that the burden of your public life and the struggle of illness at home would take its toll.

    I do enjoy being alone as well, but it seems I have little time for such. My wife and I are very involved with volunteer duties that now and again feel like full time occupations. We have committed to four more years of such and then stopping to care for ourselves as I approach 70.

    My struggle of late has been on how to and what is a simple life. Your site and wisdom has helped me to clarify my mind.

    Thank You,
    z

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    1. Zane, I know just how much energy and time goes into volunteering and I commend you for your efforts. Thank you for thinking of us.

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  2. I love being alone, though it doesn't happen often. When it does I relish the quiet and being able to do what I want, when I want. Your back garden looks lovely.

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  3. Yes, I love being alone but not for too long. With a house 'packed to the rafters' with children most of the time I need to find time for myself and I do that by waking up in the early morning before the rest of the house is awake. It doesn't always happen that I will be alone, sometimes one of two kids will be awake with me but if I manage to find some solitude it usually makes me feel calmer for the rest of the day and able to do the things that need to be done without feeling 'deprived of me time.'

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  4. Yes, I do, when I have chosen to be alone. As I read this I thought about how I should be sweeping, folding laundry, and giving the bathroom a once over before the rush of getting the children from their schools. Once they are home I'll be convincing them to do their homework and instrument practice and will be hassled by needing to do the chores too before people come over. I am instead re-casting on a mohair cowl I am making for my cousin and enjoying reading blogs, candles, and the sounds my youngest girl is making playing in the living room. I am content and the floor can wait.

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  5. Yes, I love being alone. I have only realized recently that I am an introvert - I love other people, but I seek silence and solitude most of the time. Thank you for writing such an encouraging and lovely blog. I check it every day that I can and often find that it brings an element of peace to my soul.

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  6. I treasure the early morning solitude. My husband and rise at 5am way before the kids get up, it's our time to talk . Then at 6am I have 30 minutes before our highschool daughter rises, I sit on the verandah with a cuppa as the sun comes up over the hills.
    I have had times where there has been no one home too and treasured just having a simple boiled egg for tea. That silence also makes you appreciate everyone when they get back.

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  7. I feel it is so true that the easy is balanced by the not-so-easy, and that getting through the rough bits help us appreciate the calmer times more. I enjoy solitude as well, and especially very ordinary (some might say "boring" ;) days.

    I hope your difficult months are behind you now, and that you can enjoy more peaceful days!
    -Jaime

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    1. Thanks Jaime, yes, it's the 'boring' days that I enjoy too.

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  8. Oh I love this post so peaceful and reflective. This is why I enjoy being alone. I find myself alone a lot and must say the hike to the bush and sitting surrounded by the century old Maples and the rocks that have been there since the Ice Age has me thinking long and hard about my life. I love the thoughts that solitude brings and I truly love my life as I can see you do. I think we are very lucky women. I am happy your normal is starting to come back. Enjoy. B

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  9. I certainly can identify with you for the need for a little solitude. Our closest family is an 8 hour car ride away so we usually seem them just once or twice a year. Lately though I have spent a great deal of time with my family. In September I took a planned trip by train to visit my parents and to attend an 80th birthday party for an aunt. Just 2 days before the trip my handicapped brother suffered a ruptured appendix and was seriously ill. One week turned into two with twice daily trips to the hospital until he recovered.
    In October my Mom and Aunt Jackie planned to take the train up and stay a week. It turned into almost two weeks as Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast and they had to wait until the trains were running again.
    Next week my brother-in-law and his wife will be spending a week with us. While we are looking forward to their visit as they live in Thailand and we only see they every 5 or so years, it will be stressful since it will be my husbands' on-call week.
    I look forward to having time to just putter around the house. To do what I want to do when I want to do it. We may not lead an exciting life but it is a pleasant life.

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  10. I have never really lived alone but relish time to think and act on my own. I enjoy the luxury of being able to choose what I want to eat, do and watch on television! I also like the slower pace where I can stop and smell the roses and think about what I want to do rather than barel into the day with gusto. I am not an introvert but I love my space and time alone. I don't need other people to enjoy the processes. I just wrote a post for my blog about ups and downs and I think its the time of year where we all start to feel a bit unbalanced ;)

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  11. I love the peace and solitude of early mornings here. We can have quite a crowd here at times and I need that quiet time to recharge. I love the times when it's just the two of us for meals and we can have something really simple when and if we are hungry.

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  12. Most definitely. I would call myself an introvert as well and thouroughly enjoy some time to myself.

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  13. Yes, I crave solitude. Though most people I know would say I was an extrovert, I know that I need time with myself to recharge and I'm most happy with my own company. I have two young children and I've had to adjust to a life of constant interaction. But one day, soon enough, things will balance out and I'll have ample time to potter about by myself.

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  14. Oh, good gracious, I LOVE being alone! I can count on one hand the number of times I was able to BE alone over the past 7 years... home education means that you spend a LOT of time with your family :) I love that we did that and I enjoyed the time we had together, but now it is time for me to have some time alone to rest and work on my own projects/education. I am not lazing about, I am working, but in a quieter way that I craved so badly. We all need time to ourselves, most especially in this time in history with so much "noise" bombarding us.

    Enjoy your quiet, Rhonda - you deserve a little solitude :)



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  15. Hi Rhonda, I very much like being alone. My hubby was a shift worker until he retired, so I was alone alot. Now that he's home all the time, I have some adjusting to do....LOL
    Enjoy your time.
    Coleen

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  16. In 2 weeks time I will actually have 4 days alone. My man has to go on a training course & much as I love him & will miss him, I'm quite excited about having 4 days where I only have me & the dog to think about. So I'm trying to get through as much of the housework & regular stuff as possible, so that my alone time can be spent crafting, gardening, reading & whatever else I fancy doing. Just having that wind down time, some alone time without watching the clock, preparing food - I will probably just eat salads on those days - I am so looking forward to it. Hope life is now evening out for you Rhonda - you've certainly had more than your fair share of difficulties of late. Hugs xx

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    1. Barb, I am so pleased you will have your four days of solitude. I'm sure you'll enjoy your alone hours very much. xx

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  17. Oh yes, definitely an introvert here. After lots of company I often crave some alone time (though usually not strictly alone as I don't usually count the kids!). It's like I need it to recharge, and I can see this is like your re-charge time. I hope Hanno comes back rejuvenated. The past few months sound like they have been very challenging for you both. Enjoy the quiet.

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  18. I do love having the house to myself but not for long. It worries me that when it is just me, in the future, all the time, that I may not cope very well being on my own. But, yes, Rhonda it is all about balance. Hope you enjoy your days doing what you please, when you please, if you please :)

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  19. Hi Rhonda, I hope you really enjoy your quiet time there, sounds as though life has been a bit testing lately. I also enjoy being on my own for a bit - I think it's a real luxury to be able to potter around doing whatever one pleases.
    Best wishes Bridget

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  20. I do like one or two days alone, but then , I know I will not be alone forever. My hubby will come home from his business trip and its back to cooking proper meals and ironing business shirts.
    But its different for someone who is alone all the time. There is a difference between being alone and lonely. I have watched my mother become widowed at 59 years old and 23 years later she is desperately lonely, even though 4 of her 5 daughters live in the same town and visit weekly.
    So yes, I like being alone but I don't ever want to be lonely.

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  21. I thoroughly enjoy being home, alone or with the family. I have many friends who tell me they get "cabin fever" if they are at home too long, not me, not ever, I love it.

    Enjoy the solitude and peace while you can, sounds like you are on holidays too :)

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  22. I'm glad you're getting some time alone. You've been on quite the wild ride. It's amazing how pleasurable it is just to make one's own meal and only when you want to .

    I'm a happy loner myself and seem to enjoy it more and more the older I get.

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  23. Oh Rhonda, how i can relate to that. I also enjoy qualitie time by my self. No rush, no expectations, just do as i please.

    Enjoy your Rhonda time

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  24. I have a two year old, so being totally alone is a rarity, but I have to admit I love when hubby is away overnight or for a couple of days. I can work at my pace and I don't need to be aiming at having things tidy so he can rest when he gets home. It's nice to just work at my pace sometimes.

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  25. I relish time alone. I like being out there with people however I enjoy coming home to some solitude. Time to potter and think is very important for me but I think it's important for everyone to have some quiet time, to recharge and refresh...

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  26. I am mid-50s and living alone for the first time. Children are now adults and family circumstances have changed. I love the quiet and predictability of living by myself. I loved my life when the house was full of people and I am loving it just as much in the quiet and solitude. Thanks for bringing this community of people together Rhonda. I love your writing and the community that has grown around your blog. SJ in Vancouver Canada

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  27. Hi,Rhonda! Oh yes, I love nothing better than to be left alone to quilt or read or whatever. My most peaceful time is when dear hubby and son go hunting for the weekend. My bff can't understand me because she has to have people or noise constantly, but not me. I leave the tv off for days when by myself. So yeah, I hear ya!! Lol

    Jeanie in KY (USA)

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  28. Yes! I love spending quality time with myself :) I love quite walks, pottering about the garden, drinking many cups of tea (and savouring them!), making something quick and easy for dinner, wearing daggy clothes because I'm not leaving the house- the list goes on!

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  29. Ah, you're living the dream! I love my 'alone' time, although with 3 babies under the age of 3, it usually only comes in the form of grocery shopping. But I'm not fussy and i'll take it when I can!!
    I think being an only child for 9 years taught me how to enjoy time with 'just me', something I hope my 2 girls learn, even though they are close in age...
    xo

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  30. I love being alone (different to being lonely)- and I am usually on my own most of the time. My husband works 15 - 18 hour days, and our children are now adults. I love company but I do relish my time on my own. To have a few days totally on my own, well that would be like a dream come true - eat when I want to, do only what I want....sounds like heaven!! Enjoy Rhonda... and you can look forward to hearing about all their adventures when they return - a bonus in itself!!

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  31. I love to be alone but in my season it very rarely happens. I think in the rush of modern life many people are truly afraid to be alone. Enjoy and recharge dear Rhonda.

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  32. Funny how life has a way of righting itself in its own time. I spend a lot of time by myself with hubby's schedule and mine conflicting like they do. But I don't mind. I'm like you, I like to putter sometimes and think in solitude.

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  33. Another introvert right here! I also love this difference, the solitude one minute, then the activities and the companionship of family and friends, all in their own measures.
    When Rick went away for a few days to see his grandaughter I had some blissfull time in silence, a few days of doing what I normally not get a chance to do. I pleased myself, I went for a good day`s hiking over the South Downs Way and enjoyed my solitude, the simple dinners and the time spent on my own. It does you good to reflect on life and to be with your own thoughts. I felt re-freshed and ready to embrase the ordenary flow of things again after that long weekend. I`m not afraid to be by myself. I positively relish time on my own. This often lets me know that I shall be alright when the time should come that I should find myself facing life on my own, eventually. I know that I will survive and that I can make it on my own. Having an indipendent spirit will help in that. So, I`m not afraid to carry on alone.

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  34. Julie ... Barossa ValleyNovember 07, 2012 8:02 am

    I have never been alone over night ever :) Although I do get up early most days and sit quietly outside in silence, I get to watch the sun warm the garden and watching the chooks. Pure Bliss ! but as you say Rhonda, it will balance out one day. Enjoy your peace Rhonda xo

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  35. Hi Rhonda - I know exactly what you mean. I've recently retired and am so enjoying days to myself when DH has gone to work - not lazy, as I leapfrog from one thing to another, but doing a task, then sitting down with a chapter of my library book, another job - setting my own timetable - bliss! After a lifetime of working with people, raising kids, etc., it's just lovely to be able to be me, and fitting in some of the things I never had time to do before.

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  36. I love time by myself to go at my own pace. Wednesdays are my day I work the rest of the the week. Take kids to school sit and have an extra cuppa, wonder around garden and talk to chooks. Then plan my day, not too busy just potter around. Thanks for reminder going through hard time at moment with teenager son and my best friend, tough times will pass and life will right itself again. Di

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  37. Time at home alone is a sweet treat. Three children, 6 grandchildren, a career in education, I am ready for some silence. I love the peace that silence brings to our home almost as much as the joy that my noisy family brings. Wallow in your time alone, Rhonda and you will be all the more ready for their return.

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  38. A lovely thought - ambling around in your own home, enjoying the solitude for a little while in thought and in work. To me there is something gentling and refreshing in that time spent alone. I don't get much of that for now - having three teenagers in the house and all the activity that seems to go with them - but when it starts to feel overwhelming, I remind myself there will come a time when our house will be quiet as my children will grow up and leave home, and I need to enjoy this time with them now. Living in the moment. :) Enjoy Rhonda. :)

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  39. I love being on my own as well, to do what I want, when I want. Society though, seems to think that is not the norm.

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  40. Oh I do so love being alone but it ha been ages since I ad the chance. With hubby now retired I feel like I went to work! :) I have no idea what our day will hold so no idea how much a a time span I have to do anything. I wold love to have a couple of hours at least uninterrupted to finish something to my own satisfaction. Now I know Hubby deserves his retirement but I can dream can't I that I have some time alone? :-) He does not get it as he feels if he is not right beside me I am therefore alone. He likes me to be with him all the time here or when he has to do errands in town. He does not seem to need down or alone time. course when he feels like a nap he takes it in an instant! So that means my time now has to be in quiet projects! :) It is hard at times as he can take a nap in an instant and then wake and do another nap! :) I should just be grateful he IS healthy and here actually and not complain in the least. Seems now we are on the same clock as if I get up at 4am or 6am or whenever he wakes too. !! I thought I could sneak up and get some quiet reading time!! I guess not!! :-) Life is funny isn't it... Sarah

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  41. The warm fireplaceNovember 07, 2012 9:50 am

    I love time alone, with a very busy house it tends to be hard to have the space, but always feel refreshed when have time alone to think amd just be.
    sue

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  42. OH I here you Sister

    Sam is off for a 12 week tour of SE Asia. He leaves in 10 days....I can't wait for the solitude and being able to have 'egg on toast' or a cheesy or tomato on toast for my dinner. I also will love being able to leave my 'projects' set up without having to pack things up for mealtimes as i can have my meals on my lap or at the breakfast bar.


    Enjoy it ...... Elsam

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  43. I love being alone, although it doesn't happen often with four young children. I hope Hanno and his relatives have fun in my neck of the woods, The Blue Mountains.

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  44. I'm a Scorpio - I love my alone time! When the kids were little (and I homeschooled them), there wasn't much alone time. Now they are young adults and I work full time outside of the home. I long to be at home again *sigh*
    I hope Hanno enjoys his trip <3 Make the most of your alone time Rhonda!

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  45. Yes Rhonda, I too am a kindred spirit. There is nothing I love more than having the house to myself to enjoy the silence.......there is something about it that nourishes the soul. I also love quiet times in the garden, whether watering, planting or weeding. The greenery soothes me and clears my busy mind, especially with two under eight.

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  46. I am also a loner - I think it is a wonderful thing to be comfortable in your own presence. I know so many people who busy their lives up to avoid silence and alone time...too scared to be with themselves. I do enjoy the company of a select few special people but I am like yourself and enjoy the peace and pace my own self keeps best.

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  47. I spent half of my twenties on a fishing boat with just the captain around. I really liked it. Then life shifted to working for a large company, getting married, having children. I was seldom alone. When my kids got into their twenties, and I had been divorced for years, I finally got some alone time again. I am now caring for my 90 nyear old father and we are around each other a. lot! I think my only alone time is in my car going to work and coming home. (A whopping 15 minute minutes each way) I do enjoy it!

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  48. Absolutely love being alone with my own thoughts (and quirks). I love silence. Sometimes interspersed with a little music--if I feel like it. Maybe a little TV. Maybe not. If I am alone it's my choice and I can be as fickle as I choose.

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  49. I love being alone, but in this season of life, it is rare. I am an only child, and have always been happy in solitude. Now, married with toddlers, and working from home with my husband, I crave time away. Last month I joined a metal arts studio, and nowI get to escape once a week to practice metalsmithing. It is wonderful, and so important to find a way to have a bit of creative peace and quiet!

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  50. Very much so. I'm not sure if it evolved from being an only child raised by grandparents and having alone-ness as the 'norm', or if I am just made this way.
    I've had seven children, and always needed some escape time, usually before sunup with a cuppa, darkness, and total silence. Having that most mornings allowed me to function 'in the moment' for the rest of the day.
    Now, at 53, with both my husband and I working from home and only one child still in the nest (aged 18) I still try to escape outside before they wake so I can bask in my own space and just hang out with God and nature.
    Enjoy the wonderful days of self-space, Rhonda. xx

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  51. I only found your lovely blog recently and your peace and contentment is very evident in your writing. I am so glad that you have this time to rebalance after what has been quite a busy and worrying time for you recently.

    I too just love to be alone, finding the peace and silence just wonderful. I like to spend the day doing things I love and pottering around without having to worry about things that maybe I should be doing.

    Yes, we all should rebalance!

    Jak x

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  52. Yes, I really love beeing alone! But as we have to children, aged 7 and 9 years, and a puppy there is really very little time for me beeing all alone. I have always loved my own company, and I so miss more of it theese days. But, someday it will return to me and until then I will just have to enjoy those moments when the kids are out and the husband at work, or a walk in the forest with our puppy that very soon will be a grown-up dog.
    I just recently discovered your blog, and I have found much pleasure in reading it!

    Hanne from Norway.

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  53. I can relate to being home alone and how it opens our eyes. On the days when my family is at work and school I see so many things I would like to do at home and when they are home I am so busy being mom and wife that I don't especially have a lot of time to see beyond those moments :) I don't mind of course but I do see things differently when it's just me puttering around. Though I miss my family when they are gone I do enjoy the peace and quiet alone with my thoughts. Have a great week at home :)

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  54. I love being alone. I'm homemaker/wife (no kids yet) and not working right now. People often asked if I get bored, and no I don't, I do enjoy the peace and doing things on my own.

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  55. Hi there, I had a life changing accident 5 years ago and since have had to give up work and spend a lot more time on my own. I have come to enjoy my simpler, less stressful life. Sometimes I struggle with the fact that I have to rest whilst on my own before the children come home from school - the guilt of inertia sometimes makes my solitude less enjoyable but in the main I do enjoy it - in balance!! J9 x

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  56. I need time alone to let my brain breathe =)
    It is actually something that I got into from very young.
    As a kid, much of my youth was spent holidaying by the sea in an isolated part of Trinidad. Luckily for us kids, as my dad loves the sea, this included weekends, public and school holidays. Even if he came home late from working a night shift, my mum would have us all ready and we would jump into the car and be off to the little house by the ocean =)
    Fishing alone on a rock in the middle of the bay or lounging in a hammock and gazing out to sea naturally leads to introversion and I, even though a kid, happily found a great depth of peace in this. I have three siblings and even now as adults we still run away to the sea during the year with our own kids or altogether. I think it gives us a great store of strength to draw from when we are faced with the pressures of life's demands.
    I remember half-joking to family and friends that my ambition in life was to be a hermit. My husband finds this very amusing for he yearns for company, whilst I attract people like a magnet and get along very well with most that I meet yet will shun them whenever I can in favour of solitude =)

    Vicki
    Trinidad and Tobago
    p.s. I dragged my husband and all of my wedding party off to that same isolated beach house for my marriage. We exchanged vows in a little old church on a hill overlooking the ocean in the closest village to it and returned for the reception and the night. 15 years later - my anniversary is tomorrow! - our guests still say it was the best wedding they ever attended!

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  57. I enjoy some "me" time once in a while, but for the last couple of weeks I have been totally alone, as my husband is working interstate and my grown up son moved out of the house to be closer to his work place. So now I hate being alone, I put the tv or radio on to have some sound around me, and I´m keeping busy painting and redoing my study/crafts room. The worst time is when I go to bed, as I lie there listening to all the little noises I hadn´t noticed before and it takes me ages to fall asleep...

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  58. I, too, like alone time. I gt quite a bit of it, actually. But I cherish my loved ones like we all do;and sometimes I realise just how lucky I am to have both.

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  59. Two things my sister told my daughter when she arrived in the big city to go to uni.
    Get some opinions on events that are happening in the world and learn to live by yourself and enjoy it.
    Daughter did and that advice has stood her in get stead since.

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  60. I enjoy some time alone to regroup and reflect. Spending too much time surrounded by others, even though I love them, tends to deplete me after a while. I, like yourself, am a homebody and don't like to go out much unless there is a good purpose to it. I enjoy my garden and home surroundings and find I can stay centered as long as I get that special me time. Enjoy yours and hope Hanno returns safely.

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  61. HI Rhonda,
    My hubby is working away from home 2 days a week now, so that's all I get on my own. But I do enjoy those days very much. Someting peaceful about just having yourself to look after. Something deeply relaxing!
    He is no trouble when he is here and we get on really well. But as time goes by and he gets closer to retirement I wonder about my 2 days and how I will miss them.
    Dayla

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  62. Isn't it lovely how such a simple gift as a few days of solitude can be so appreciated?

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  63. Absolutely! However, it is a very rare thing for me to be truly alone and I relish it when I get the chance.

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  64. I so rarely get to be alone these days, so when am I really appreciate it. Having the space to be with my own thoughts, as you describe, is so nurturing.
    That phrase you used - razor's edge of impossible - oh, Rhonda I can relate to that so much!!
    Enjoy your days pottering around, enjoy Frankie!! And please send a big hello to Hanno.
    x
    Megan

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  65. Hi Rhonda,
    This is the 1st time I've posted a comment on your fantastic site, I've been subscribing for a while and really love reading your blog every day, it is just so wonderful. I've been into living naturally and simply for a while but you have inspired me so much. I'm now a complete convert to your homemade laundry powder recipe (I grate up bars of Dr Bronners peppermint soap for the soap flakes, they smell amazing!). Last week I tried your yoghurt recipe for the first time, it's great.
    Like you, I absolutely love being alone but with 2 children aged 7 and 4 it doesn't happen very often! They are at school and kindergarten respectively during the week and I cherish the peaceful house for those few hours... They are wonderful but very noisy, as most small children are!
    As well as being at home with them every afternoon (my eldest is at a Steiner-style school so he finishes at 1pm most days), I am also studying a homeopathy practitioner course which takes up most of my precious free time (but I love the challenge this new direction is bringing). I am also cultivating a knitting addiction which is absolutely brilliant as it takes my mind off everything else!
    I am sure life must have been very challenging for you since Hanno's accident. I do hope things become easier for you both soon and I hope you enjoy your precious free time over the next few days.
    With love,
    Sam (UK)

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  66. The older I get, the more I enjoy being alone (well...me and the 3 dogs and 3 cats..is that alone?). My 20s and 30s were so busy with my own college, while raising kids and a terrible marriage, working all the time..that now that I'm in my late 30s I'm enjoying a bit of 'empty nest'. My daughter moved out almost 2 years ago, my son is 15 and only lives with me half the time. Those days when I can eat cereal for supper are just heaven to me. As much as I love my children, I am looking forward to more downtime.

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  67. I love thinking in terms of balance. Years ago I took one of those tests and found that I was pretty much equally introverted and extroverted, the introvert in me winning slightly over the extrovert. I've since tried to honor both sides of myself, balancing the social animal in myself with my need for solitude. If I've been alone too much, I deliberately plan time with others. I have to plan alone time the same way. I try not to have of more than three days of constant company, or three days of complete solitude. For me, solitude is not having to be anything to anybody. What a gift that is!

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  68. I covet my alone time. I am also an Introvert, pretty far down on the continuum. I am very excited to have discovered you blog...less is more in my world. I also make my own of almost every thing for almost all the same reasons. I'm off to explore your archived posts. Nice to meet you. ~karen

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  69. I once read that an extrovert absorbs their energy from other people, while an introvert recharges from within and gives their energy to others. Refreshing solitude is when I revive and energise the most.

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  70. Hi Rhonda,

    I love your site. It is your book that has inspired me to actually begin my journey of living more simply - something I have been wanting to do for quite some time. I too, am a loner. Having regular periods of solitude for me is a necessity, not a luxury. Like you it helps me to maintain my balance. That is why I have meditated for most of my life, particularly when I cannot enjoy longer periods of solitude. Luckily my husband also enjoys his solitude and so understands my need too.

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  71. Widowhood throws you into alone time. Be glad of having you spouses and families. Life can change in a heartbeat.

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