So, National Single’s Week starts today, Monday, Sept 20..

What?  Never heard of it?  It’s been around since 1984 – that’s 26 years.  If you Google it and you’ll find a number of listings, including an article by Buck Wolf, of ABC News.  In part, he wrote,   

            “Some people might think that National Singles Week is a bogus event created by the greeting card industry, after failing to launch Second Cousins Day. Others might say unmarried people don't need a holiday — they can celebrate their unyoked freedom every day of their lives. …”

Larry James, of CelebrateLove.com wrote,

          “ It is estimated that there are 82 million single and unmarried adults in the United States. National Singles Week is celebrated the third full week in September. This is your week to C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E the lives and contributions of unmarried and single Americans!...”

And, then there’s the wonderful organization, Unmarried.org, also known as The Alternatives to Marriage Project (AtMP) that has been in existence for over a decade.  It

            “is a national nonprofit organization advocating for equality and fairness for unmarried people, including people who are single, who choose not to marry, cannot marry, or live together before marriage.”

It addresses legal, financial, health issues, lobbies congress, and fights for equality ad fairness in all aspects of the lives of those who are not married.

So, this coming week, what are you going to do to celebrate or honor it. 

Celebrate? 

Well, there are some women who are really pleased to be single (by whatever definition you use – no man at all, a man but no commitment, a commitment but no wedding ring.)

Or maybe you don’t feel so celebratory; you wish there were a man in your life, but you aren’t moping, and you are mad that society makes it hard to be single.  Then, you may want to honor it.  Honor the fact that more than half of women are single (or single again), and they are not spinsters; they are not losers.  They just don’t have a wedding certificate.

Or, maybe you don’t know how you feel.  It depends on the day.  Some times you are delighted not to have to contend with a man and his needs; sometimes you long for arms around you in bed.

Well, here’s something that all of you single women may really like.  It’s Michelle Cove’s new book, Seeking Happily Ever After: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Being Single Without Losing Your Mind (and Finding Lasting Love Along the Way).  Like that title?

Just in time for National Single’s Week, this book reaches all types of singles.  And, that’s part of the greatness – it doesn’t assume all singles want to be married or don’t want to be married.  It also allows for those who aren’t sure what they want.  And, it speaks to all women who must navigate a marriage obsessed culture.  You will find yourself on many pages, in non-judgmental views of the breathe of what it means to be single in today’s world.

And, to toot my own horn for a moment.  With or Without A Man: Single Women Taking Control of Their Lives has been around for a decade and, with the exception of on-line dating and texting, is still fresh.  It has the premise that women, more than men, focus on their personal growth, so more women than men are ready for an emotionally healthy relationship.  It presents 9 tasks where you can assess how well you are taking control of your life – from meeting your basic needs, to enjoying intimacy even if there’s no man in your life, to hope for horniness, grieving, and more.

And, don’t let next week end without visiting SWWAN, a site for single working women.  A place for women in the workplace “help each other celebrate our courage and creativity and to enhance the single lifestyle.”  This, I believe, is the only single site specifically focusing on the singles and work.

Whatever you do, pay attention.  If you are single or if you are not, learn more about this largest growing group that is changing how the  world see singles.