"I was happily single until my 50s but after my parents died, I feel lonely"

Query: I am in my early 50s and I was so busy earning and enjoying my life that I never felt the need to marry. But now with my parents gone, I feel like I have no one. My friends and relatives are busy in their respective lives and I have no one I can call my own.
Expert advice by Aanchal Narang, Founder and Therapist at Another Light Counselling: As human beings, we all want love, care, affection and a sense of belongingness.Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of loneliness. If you never felt the need to marry before, do reflect whether that is something you truly want now because marriage isn’t the immediate cure to feeling alone.
People feel lonely in marriages all the time. I am sure you can find people to belong to but you will have to make an effort to put yourself out there. It could be exhausting but also worthwhile. Asking yourself what stopped you from finding someone is important and I would recommend you explore it with a therapist. because when you do find someone there are certain issues that might arise as you might’ve gotten too used to being on your own. In the mean while I would suggest taking up some activities which could also provide you spaces to meet people. Pottery, singing, dancing, whatever interests you. Online spaces are also great to find people with similar aspirations.
Another thing to ponder upon: what are you looking for in a person? Having clarity will help in finding someone suitable. However, you need to keep in mind that people can be your person in life but they are be separate from us and we cannot own anyone. Individuality in relationships often adds to its healthy longevity.
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