‘Loneliness’ implies despair. ‘Alone time’ feels whole and healthy. It’s the same word — the root of both is ‘one.’ Is ‘one’ really the loneliest number? We may feel far more lonely in a loveless marriage, which is represented by the number ‘two’ – the number of separation. At a large party we may feel utterly lonely. Or we can feel super-lonely during a family gathering in which we are the outsider, because of political beliefs or economic status, for example. Many people believe that our family is the real tribe we belong to. When we’re misunderstood or ignored by them, we feel have no footing in life. But is that really true? Blood and ancestry used to be very different than it is now. Now, our real tribe tends to be made up of people who share the same beliefs, concerns, and interests. These are far more important than ancestry. Reach out to your friends—your real tribe—for a sense of belonging. If you think you don’t have any, look around for them and start building bridges toward friendship. There are plenty of you, and them, and we are all one.
