7 Ways to Celebrate Being Single

Written by Amanda K. Fowler

This article is courtesy of  Christian Single.

We celebrate our country’s independence with an abundance of long-held traditions. Fireworks are a given, whether they’re sparklers in the backyard or a startling pyrotechnic display launched over the city park. We sit outside in lawn chairs, eating grilled meat and homemade potato salad. There are parades to endure and love songs to America to belt out. But when was the last time you celebrated your own independence as a singleton?

I know what you’re thinking: That segue is tenuous at best. But seriously, do you celebrate? I’m not talking about throwing a “Woo! Singleness 4-Evah!” party. I’m talking about appreciating the life you live now (and making time for things you can do that you couldn’t necessarily do if you were responsible to more people). Although there may be times when it feels like there’s nothing to celebrate, take a moment to honor your freedoms and consider the ways you might take advantage of them.

1. Create lasting memories with friends. Let’s say you get married soon. No matter your intentions, the time you spend with friends would naturally change. Of course you’ll cherish the process of making new memories with a spouse, but you’ll also never forget the times you’ve spent with best friends either. “I traveled Europe for a summer with my friends from college, and we shared experiences that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life,” says Jessie Leman of Rensselaer, Ind.

2. Eat whatever you want. The USDA (and your mom) might not approve, but you can have ice cream for dinner if that’s what sounds good. When you don’t feel like cooking, you can pour yourself a big bowl of Frosted Flakes without getting mocked. You can whip up a meal of pancakes and leftover fried chicken. You can even spend hours on something fancy, and no one will say, “Ew, there’s fennel in this?” Plus, if kids happen to enter the picture, you’ll have to make real, healthy meals all the time so that they don’t get scurvy.

3. Take a spur-of-the-moment trip. Pack up the car and hit the open road, or check out last-minute weekend flight deals on a travel Web site. Why? Seasoned traveler Sarah Hansell of Los Angeles puts it simply: “I love that I can pick any place that I want to go. I can just plan it and do it.”

4. Spend more time with God. It’s not that having a spouse would pull you away from God, but when there are more people around and things to do, alone time with Jesus is simply at more of a premium. So on a beautiful morning in the near future, take your Bible to a forest preserve or the beach, and revel in your ability to do so whenever you wish.

5. Be more spontaneous in general. Without another person to plan around, you can make or break plans on a whim. Go see a movie when the mood strikes, or take a few hours off and catch a baseball game. Be careful with this one, though — taking advantage of your ability to experience spontaneity is good, but the results could be unfortunate if applied to, say, real estate purchases or tattoos.

6. Commit to a ministry. Obviously, this isn’t something that only the unmarrieds can or should do. But there may be opportunities out there that are uniquely suited for singles and their schedules, such as coaching a Little League team or mentoring a child as a big brother or big sister. Commit to devoting time to others who desperately need the presence of Christ in their lives.

7. Sleep in. I don’t know if you are aware of this, but small children get up really, really early. Sometimes in the middle of the night even. So sleep while you still can.

God has rich and meaningful plans for your single days – days that should be spent focusing on what you have, not what you don’t. Think about things you may regret not doing five to 10 years from now – regardless of whether you’re married or not – and do what you can to make them happen now, while you have flexibility and time. (And get lots of sleep. Don’t forget about the precious, precious sleep.)

Amanda K. Fowler moonlights as a freelance writer in Los Angeles. She celebrates her singleness by cranking up her music just as loud as she pleases.

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