This week has been like any normal week. Today was like any other normal day \u2014 a day filled with meetings, projects, and emails. Until I got home. I walked into an empty, quiet house. Even the dog seemed to recognize that something was “off.” My wife left for a week-long trip to her hometown to visit family yesterday. My girls are at church for a three-day youth conference. I was home alone. For the first time in a very long time, I had this overwhelming sense of loneliness. Yes, loneliness. It has been so long since I felt this way, and that feeling itself felt rather foreign.<\/p>\n
As I was sitting in the quietness of our living room, I was tempted to turn on the television to fill the room with some noise, but I just sat there. I realized that the next few days would be like this. I would come home to an empty house, and I would have to decide what to fix myself for dinner. Would I watch television? Or a movie? Or read a book . . . alone. Make a sandwich, grill chicken, or order pizza . . . alone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While I am feeling this way tonight . . . \u00a0this feeling . . . this reality is temporary. On Saturday, my girls will be back here in the house filling it with the sounds of teenage life. Next Tuesday night we’ll pick Charlene up from the Denver airport. All will return to normal. But in the meantime, I feel alone. And I feel lonely. I was taken back . . . surprised . . . even shocked that I experienced this emotion. Quite honestly, I was looking forward to this time . . . this time to do whatever I wanted (or didn’t want) to do. Yet instead I am feeling this sense of emptiness.<\/p>\n
After soaking in those feelings for the last few hours, I’ve begun to think about people who find this to be their everyday reality. This is their reality not for a few days. This is their ongoing reality. I am reminded of my mom. She has lived the last several years alone without my dad. Tonight I can empathize a little more with the way she feels. I am reminded of the story of a pastor in Indianapolis who tragically lost his wife this last year. He and his young toddler are alone. The stories are numerous around us, but we go on with our “normal” lives. Our reality filled with family . . . and togetherness . . . \u00a0and community. Yet there are those that go home to an empty home and are reminded by this emotion of loneliness every single day that they are alone<\/p>\n
Today I am a little more aware of those around me that may be living this way. This is the beauty of the Church. We have the \u00a0opportunity to open our eyes to see those around us that may be experiencing aloneness alongside the emotion of loneliness. I am thankful for my family and that I’m not alone. Yet tonight, I’m also thankful for the reminder that there are those that are lonely and need the love of a neighbor and to be\u00a0reminded that they are not alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This week has been like any normal week. Today was like any other normal day \u2014 a day filled with meetings, projects, and emails. Until I got home. I walked into an empty, quiet house. Even the dog seemed to recognize that something was “off.” My wife left for a week-long trip to her hometown […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[93,3],"class_list":["post-1445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-main","tag-community","tag-family"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pzg9k-nj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":211605,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/support-leadership-fostering-ownership-and-partnership-for-results\/","url_meta":{"origin":1445,"position":0},"title":"Support & Leadership: Fostering Ownership and Partnership for Results","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"May 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I attended a customer meeting with one of our customer success managers, and it turned into a real eye-opener about what leadership should be. My colleague shared on LinkedIn that instead of needing more oversight, Individual Contributors just want ownership and support. When leaders show up, they're not just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"multi cultural people","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-photo-3184634.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-photo-3184634.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-photo-3184634.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-photo-3184634.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pexels-photo-3184634.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":211410,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/transform-your-presentations-from-data-dumps-to-dynamic-dialogues\/","url_meta":{"origin":1445,"position":1},"title":"Transform Your Presentations: From Data Dumps to Dynamic Dialogues","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"February 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Effective presentations go beyond merely delivering information; they require dynamic engagement and interaction. Preparation is key, involving understanding the audience and clearly defining objectives. Presenters should be adaptable, reading audience reactions and encouraging active participation. Clarity, authenticity, and storytelling enhance communication, transforming lectures into conversations. Ultimately, an impactful presentation inspires\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"man in sweatshirt in front of people","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/pexels-photo-6150527.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/pexels-photo-6150527.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/pexels-photo-6150527.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/pexels-photo-6150527.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/pexels-photo-6150527.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1159,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/thirty-some-years-later\/","url_meta":{"origin":1445,"position":2},"title":"Thirty-Some Years Later","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"August 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I was up early that day. Putting on my new clothes while smelling the aroma of a home-cooked breakfast was part of that ritual. On this particular day in late August, my mom was up early making her usual spread of morning goodness which typically and always included bacon. As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Inside of a classroom with back to school on the chalkboard","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Back-to-School-650x487.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1021,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/it-just-doesnt-come-knocking-on-your-door\/","url_meta":{"origin":1445,"position":3},"title":"It Just Doesn’t Come Knocking on Your Door","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"April 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I was meeting with one of students that I am teaching at Living Stones in our School of Worship Arts. This young lady is growing into becoming an amazing songwriter and worship leader. As we sat down again to discuss where this session will lead us, we determined that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1378,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/ski-slopes-snow-days-and-facing-fear\/","url_meta":{"origin":1445,"position":4},"title":"Ski Slopes, Snow Days, and Facing Fear","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"March 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This week my family took a \u201csnow day.\u201d It wasn\u2019t because the weather was bad, and we couldn\u2019t get out the driveway. My niece was visiting from Indiana over her college spring break. So what does every midwesterner do when they visit Colorado in the winter? They go skiing, of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1810,"url":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/the-one-thing-i-hate-to-admit\/","url_meta":{"origin":1445,"position":5},"title":"The One Thing I Hate to Admit","author":"Jon Plotner","date":"September 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It happened about ten seconds after it came out of my mouth. I wish I could have grabbed the words that I had spoken and return them from whence they came. But it was too late. In front of a group of my peers I admitted, \"I feel stuck.\" I've\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Main"","block_context":{"text":"Main","link":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/category\/main\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1445"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1448,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1445\/revisions\/1448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonplotner.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}