The Good Form of Loneliness

The Good Form of Loneliness

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Yes, I said that, and yes, I mean it. There is a good form of loneliness. At least, I believe so. Let me explain. I’ll keep this brief.

We all know the bad form of loneliness. The one that makes you feel isolated, alone. Where you feel that no one understands you, that there is no one there for you. We’ve all felt this way at some stage. It’s absolutely awful. This form of loneliness can be dangerous, and so should be taken seriously.

But there is another form. A lovelier form.

Say you go away with friends for a weekend – maybe you go on a holiday or to a festival. You have this experience that’s different to your regular life where you’re surrounded constantly by people you love and who love you. Then, when you come back and return to your life there’s this void. The post-holiday blues. You feel sad and lonely, but it’s not because you feel isolated.

Rather it’s because you feel the lack of love’s presence. You had all this stimulation and now it’s gone. The loneliness grows from the awareness of this absence. You aren’t feeling lonely because you have no one, rather you are feeling lonely because there are people in your life who aren’t here currently. This loneliness is proof of love, proof of belonging. And it’s absolutely gorgeous.

This second form of loneliness is the price we pay for being surrounded by love. Missing people means you have people to miss, to care about. Not everyone has that. And while this feeling of loneliness isn’t pleasant, the reason for its presence is. Something to remember whenever you feel blue after spending time with your loved ones.