In my last post, I talked about loneliness and how it can be turned into a positive experience. Sometimes the loneliness can seem insurmountable especially if you have had many challenges that can leave you feeling low and sometimes making bad choices.
Loneliness is a state of mind.
Stephanie Williams a character in my novel, Web of lies, had several reasons for her loneliness. Her Aunt Sonia, was so ill she was bed-ridden. She wanted Stephanie to look after her at home because Stephanie was her only living relative and she didn't want to die in a hospital.
Caring for Aunt Sonia put a lot of pressure on Stephanie. She hurriedly did things for Sonia to make her comfortable hoping she could snatch some free time to be with her boyfriend, Lachlan. Stephanie found it very difficult to find the time to meet with him and when they met, her emotions were overwhelming and she took chances she may not have otherwise done.
When Lachlan had to go overseas to study she was lonelier than ever, especially when she found out she was pregnant with his baby and Sonia put more pressure on her to care for her. When Stephanie's baby was born, at Sonia's insistence she gave him up for adoption and was so lonely and sad, she became a recluse.
When Aunt Sonia died, and the developers moved in to demolish Sonia's house to build a high-rise in its place, she had nowhere to go. A friend at university offered Stephanie her place to share with her until she found somewhere to live. It was during this time she met Michael. He swept her off her feet and they married. Stephanie believed she would never be lonely again. But sadly her loneliness affected her clear thinking and she ended up in an abusive relationship.
Would Stephanie ever find happiness and be free of that empty feeling of never having a significant other person in her life? Loneliness influenced her to make some not so good decisions. She became a victim of circumstance and decided she would never make a bad decision again. When Lachlan came back into her life, afraid she might make the wrong choice, she kept herself distant from him.
Was this a good choice for Stephanie? What else could she have done? Leave me your ideas below.