Single Soon

"Aren't you glad you're single?" Was asked of me.

The words left a smarmy grin, following fallacies of feeling and promise.

I think of my best friend who spends most of her time yelling at her boyfriend.

I think of my coworker who's getting ignored for some stupid reason.

I think of my father cheating, and worse, my mother never loving again.

I think of the abuse, and the manipulation, and the tears I have felt from relationships of all kinds.

But I also think of my paternal grandparents meeting when they were fourteen and staying so until my grandmother was nearly ninty-four and joined him ashes to ashes.

I think of my maternal grandmother's love that survived war and raised three generations.

I think of the three young men I saw taking turns tossing their girlfriends into the lake during the summer, and the families strolling the flower gardens in the winter.

This is love.

I think of all of the love I have to give. I think of warm brown eyes, I think of roses and initial necklaces and handmade bracelets. No, I am not glad to be single, but I am glad I am not with someone who fails to see why any of it would be appealing.