Sometimes, I feel lonely even in a room full of people. It's not that I feel unloved or under-appreciated. It's not that I need more time with friends. It's not that I really want to talk about it -- or that talking will help. It's just that, even when I'm with people I love, respect, and enjoy spending time with, it can be difficult to feel known.
What is the cure to this loneliness? It does not seem to be the simple fix of more social interaction. Yesterday, I had coffee with one friend and lunch with another. Everyday, I have so much love and support from my co-workers and family. There are amazing people in my life that remind me how to play and laugh. And yet, the feeling often remains. I doubt I am alone in this feeling though it is so fleeting that I often forget it exists.
Perhaps we feel lonely because we are not working to be our own friend. One can feel lonely even surrounded by the best people if they are not giving themselves the care and compassionate attention they would give to others. So, maybe it's not so much a question of curing this feeling of loneliness (with more social interaction, more physical activity, more connection) but having the courage to sit with the discomfort and the unknown within ourselves; slowing down enough to listen to and have a meaningful relationship with the inner voice, the inner self that is too often ignored.
