Loneliness

“A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you.” ~ Rumi There was a time in my life when I didn’t enjoy being alone. As a child, I always wanted to have playmates. Later on, as an adolescent, I wanted to have friends, go places, and be part of several activities that were going on. It seems that at every stage of my younger life I felt lonely if I wasn’t in the company of other people. It seemed as though I was afraid of alone time. ...

At Christmas-time, we tend to forget that many people are alone. This could be intentional or the result of circumstance - death, divorce, broken friendships, family far away, or an endless variety of reasons. For those who choose to spend the time in solitude meditating or with other plans, there’s joy in being alone. For those who would prefer to be with others but have no others, it can be a very hard and lonely time. ...