Loneliness is not necessarily a bad thing, but it could be. I would describe it as being isolated, feeling isolation and sadness.

Now that my children are older and going off to college, I find myself at home with more time to myself. It is easy to feel lonely and empty, but I am involved at St. Benedict and my Girl Scouts communities. These are places where I have found friends and people who are going through the same issues as me.

Community is about being supported, accepted, and feeling like you belong – places where you have somebody to share problems, happy times, and even sad times.

When I was young, I thought I would work with animals – I love animals! I wasn’t the type of person who grew up thinking I’d be a mother. Now, being a mom is a part of who I am and how I want people to know me, it’s really my greatest accomplishment.

I want to be known as a mother, as a helper, and as a person who gives back to my community. Whether it is in church, or being a Girl Scout troop leader, I like to give back.