Sharyn M Kopf

Spinstered: Surviving Singleness After Forty Sharyn M Kopf

Publisher Marketing: "Why can't I just be single and happy and stop wanting more?" The question haunted Sharyn Kopf until a friend responded: "You're grieving something you've lost. It's okay to be sad." Funny how one moment can change a person's perspective. With those ten words, this friend gave a name to Sharyn's struggles as a single woman: Grief. We all understand the sorrow of loss. But grieving singleness? Doesn't that go against the biblical command to "be content"? Is it possible to enjoy the gifts of an unmarried life and still long for a husband and family of one's own? Using the seven stages of grief-denial, disbelief, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and hope-along with Scripture and her own experiences, Sharyn will walk with you through your own grief process. Within these pages, we'll take a look at: How God feels about our singleness The longing for children Our tendency to fluctuate between believing we're too picky and worrying we're not good enough to attract a man Bargaining our way into and out of relationships How to deal with regret The stress of financial difficulties like job loss, low income, and handling it all on your own What long-term singleness does to our self-esteem How to respond to single women cliches and myths And more. Plus, there's a special section specifically written to our married friends and family members. You are not alone. It's okay to be sad. Ironically, it's only in grieving what you've lost that you can find healing and hope for your future, with or without a wedding ring. Because to mourn anything without hope is to mourn without God. Spinstered we may be ... but we are not alone."