still separated, in limbo, still hopeful

[flowmom]

I would also like to meet some single parents. It's going to take time before I feel comfortable hanging out with my mom friends who are all happily married.

I found that it never clicked for me to hang out with random moms. I had to really seek out mothers who had similar interests and who I clicked with. I joined the local "tribe" thread at mothering.com and after chatting for months, I started to meet up with them IRL and formed wonderful friendships. I felt known and accepted the way that sometimes happens in a forum, but being able to deepen the connections IRL made it into a rich base for friendship and connection. I knew much more about these women because of the self-disclosure on the internet, and I could figure out who I clicked with before even meeting them. I hosted some playdates once I felt more comfortable in the internet community.

Good for you for recognizing your loneliness.

I suggest that you start a yahoogroup or meetup group and post some signs in your neighbourhood looking for similar-minded mothers. Organize park days and see who shows up. You don't have much to lose and having the support of other parents can really help.

Maybe I should follow my own advice and start a single parent group .