Little Reasons To Be Thankful For Being Single

There’s something truly liberating about being single during the holidays. You get to spend your free time exactly as you want, with whomever you want. Perhaps even better, you can spend your money however you please. Yep, you can go ahead and buy that pink artificial Christmas tree you’ve always wanted. No judgment here. “Solitude gives you a backbone in a way nothing else can.”

With that in mind, bloggers and HuffPost readers shared the one reason they’re thankful to be on their own this holiday season. See their responses below.

1. “I can travel impulsively without any consideration whatsoever. I can also eat as much as I want in my bleach-stained sweatpants while wearing glasses sans makeup and hair done. #NoJudgment” ― Natalya Jones

2. “I like the feeling of accomplishing things on my own ― buying a house, adopting, living in Denver, given how expensive it is. It feels good to know I am doing this on my own.” ― Nadia S.

3. “You can have morning breath long into the afternoon!” ― Kayla S. 

4. “By being single, I can focus all of my attention and energy into building my career, in making my dreams come true, and in becoming the best person that I can be.” ― Angelo Caerlang

5. “Being single after a decade of marriage was really scary at first, but I’m so grateful for it now. A lot of women who get married in their 20s never really got to experience life on their own (myself included). I’m seeing now what a gift this time is. I get to reset all of my ideas, dreams, and priorities. And I’m the one who calls the shots. Solitude gives you a backbone in a way nothing else can.” ― Katie Mitchell

6. “I feel a great degree of security because I know what I have accomplished in life I have done on my own. And I don’t have to worry about losing half of everything in a divorce!” ― Christi J. 

7. “Being single means you can stop over-analyzing how you look/sound/smell. You can slouch at the dinner table, air-dry your hair, eat garlic bread and make normal bodily noises without judgment.” ― Samantha Clark

8. “I’m always there when I need me. No more waiting around for someone to show up for me. I have my own back, 24/7. There’s nothing better than that!” ― Dina Strada 

9. “The best thing? Not having to spend my day off doing something I don’t want to do like going to Home Depot, Lane Bryant, Shoe Station and on and on ...” ― Patrick R.

10. “Every day is another opportunity to discover more about myself and understand what I want and need in life. On the way to meeting my soulmate, I plan on enjoying the journey of getting to know myself ... even if that means dating a few frogs. (Hey, frogs make for the best stories.)” ― Sonya Matejko

11. “I’m 65 years old and happily single. My home is exactly what I think is comfortable. My meals are exactly what I want to eat. I go where I want, watch the movies I want, and never have to figure out what the hell I did wrong!” ― Ricky B. 

12. “I love the single life because I get to party like it’s 1999, guilt-free, with no apologies or the pressure to change my plans to include a significant other.” ― Ezinne Ukoha

13. “I never feel disappointment because ‘he didn’t call me.” ― Nikolett S.

14. “I love having my own place. I think if I did meet someone in the future, I’d like to have my own home. Let them clean their own mess and I’ll clean mine. We could meet maybe three times a week!” ― Fae M. 

15. “I can spend so much time with my pets without anyone getting jealous!” ― Tintin M.