Deep Thoughts: Lonliness

    We've all felt alone at some point. Whether left to deal with our problems on our own or simply not feeling understood, it's something almost everyone can relate to and empathize with. Despite that, we handle our social relationships very differently. Our neighbors have circles of gossip and our parents have poker friends. However, notice the coworker who sits by themselves during break and never prompts eye contact. They give pleasantries but never stay for small talk, off to do their job and mind their own. This might be someone who is alone, but that doesn't necessarily mean they’re lonely. We don't know what goes on in the lives of everyone around us, yet we make our judgements. We may naturally pity those who have few or no relationships, despite not knowing their situations. Some people are more comfortable with themselves for company than anyone else. 

    Being misunderstood can be a big part of childhood and adolescence. It can feel better to shove the emotions and thoughts into notebooks for some, rather than to confide in others. Writing angsty poems, melancholy stories, and hoping that if someone read them, maybe they would understand. Unfortunately for me, no one really made it that close for a while. Instead, loneliness became familiar and it never truly left. 

    It doesn't leave. Only waits in the dark when no one answers the call. It whispers in the mind and wraps its cold arms around our arms. It says, "It's only me", over and over again, trying to reassure and be comforting. And the voice sounds just like our own, because when we look in the mirror, it is us. It's only us. Only we can reach out and find others who feel the same. Only in understanding the loneliness can we think to overcome it, or better yet, embrace it. Use it as a guide to find the inner self, and tell it thank you. It won't take long, appreciate what we have and find what we don't. 

    Not quite meditation, but it does give a sense of peace just to be with oneself and perhaps do something that gives positive energy. Relax or work on a hobby, even take a rejuvenating nap in the afternoon. We don't need people to feel less lonely. We just need to know that we're not alone. You're never alone if you can reach for yourself. Our minds can build pastures and palaces to calm ourselves, as well as carefully plan out solutions and partake in multiple perspectives. Never take that for granted. 

    If nothing else works, feel free to message me for a pep talk. Or for anything really. As a perpetual host to loneliness, I understand.

-Navi

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, W. Keel