I had this whole plan, you know. Wrote out a schedule of what I was going to talk about each day so that I knew I had enough to write about, and so that I wouldn’t feel like I didn’t know what to write about when it came down to it.
But, at least for today, that’s all out the window.
Let’s talk about loneliness.
I should preface this by saying that I have amazing people in my life. I have a wonderful roommate, good friends both nearby and far away, and amazing family both a few blocks away and three hours north.
However, even with all of those beautiful people in my life, I can still get lonely.
And I bet you can too.
Loneliness is one of those things that you don’t necessarily see coming. I mean, sure, you might notice that you haven’t hung out with people in a while, or maybe seeing couples together makes your stomach drop a little. And then one day – SMACK! Loneliness.
I prefaced this with a comment about the people in my life because I’m about to say something that I don’t want them to feel responsible for – and some of them, because they are lovely, caring people, will feel responsible.
I’ve been pretty lonely lately.
I spend a lot of time on my own – and part of that is my own doing, trying not to spend money I don’t have and not wanting to feel like the poor, unfortunate soul who needs others to purchase her beer if she’s going to drink more than one beer. Sometimes I just feel like reading the book – it’s the introvert in me. And while books often provide me comfort, they certainly can’t wrap their arms around me like a real person can.
There’s really no fix for loneliness except for telling people that you’re lonely, or you need a hug, which is hard. It’s an extremely hard sentence to get out of your mouth, because it makes you vulnerable. And if you’re not around the right person, it’s not going to be received as it should.
This week, I’m going to tell at least one person that I’m lonely, or that I need a hug. And since all I can offer you is a virtual hug and some virtual love, I hope you’ll take the time this week to do the same. Loving yourself means being honest, and as hard as honesty can be, it’s also important. Tell someone you love that you need a hug, and let them love you the way you can’t really love yourself.
Miss a post this month? Don’t know why I’m suddenly posting every day? Everything you need can be found HERE.
