So many people feel lonely when dealing with bereavement. During the grieving period which will vary from person to person, you may not want to go out but I remember one piece of advice.

If you get an invitation to go somewhere, force yourself to say, yes.

I followed that advice, I went out for dinner, to the movies and to see plays with friends. At some point, the sympathy invites will stop and you’ll be expected to get on with life.

I’m OK going out on my own. I made a conscious effort to go to the cinema, go out for meals, watch bands at my local pub on my own. It can feel odd by yourself, lonely at times but the way I see it, I live a solo life now and I just have to get on with it.

Many people live alone, I know, but I had to adjust to not having a partner right there beside me. Whenever I’m feeling sorry for myself, I say to myself, thank you, Steve, for everything. I really appreciate you.

But what if you haven’t got too many friends, you don’t like going out on your own and you’re ready to make new friends? In Suffolk, there are #MeetupMondays, morning sessions for people to share coffee and cake in various locations.

It’s a win-win situation because MeetUpMondays™ give hospitality businesses the opportunity to showcase their lovely, friendly pub, cafe, tea room or hotel lounge, as a warm welcoming place.

There’s one at my local pub, the Greyhound, Ipswich

When you arrive at the venue, there’s always someone there to greet newcomers. It might not be easy to walk into a pub at night on your own but to call into your local pub for a coffee and a chat is much easier especially when you receive a warm welcome on arrival.

Give it a Try

Search your area for a #MeetUpMonday group. If there isn’t one, approach your local pub to see if you can set one up. Find out how to host a #MeetUp in your area

There are also more themed #MeetUps and evening social events at local restaurants. While I was researching for this blog I signed up for the Travel Chat Meet Up. I have no idea what it will be like but sometimes you have to step right out of your comfort zone. They’re planning to talk about travelling through Moscow, that’ll be good for me as last year I went on the Trans-Siberian from Beijing to Moscow.

Have you ever been to a #MeetUp? What was it like?

#MyPrelovedLife : 10/12/18