It’s A Lonely Life And We Have To Accept It

500 plus FB friends, 1000s of Instagram followers, friendly neighbours, helpful colleagues, school and college friends who are now WhatsApp friends.

At the end of a day filled with heated twitter arguments and fiery YouTube comments, you suddenly realize that you’ve not actually spoken to or listened to a physical person that day. You were surrounded by so much noise, you just didn’t realize it. Television, radio talk shows, music, podcasts, traffic horns, shopping hustle – in Chennai even the garbage trucks have a song of their own.

There is so much noise everywhere

Have you ever got stuck in an elevator and tried using the alarm bell inside? You could be living in an apartment with 8 other families – but with televisions blaring either soapy serials or political debates, nobody can hear you.

All is well and nobody misses having meaningful conversations – at least not until life throws a curveball at you.

Hard times reveal who you need and want to have conversations with

It’s only when you are faced with a serious problem – could be illness, could be your job, could be anything really. It’s during trying times like these that you block the unwanted noise around and yearn for some meaningful and sensible noise. You listen hard, and you realize, there’s mostly just silence. FB friends just send a sad emoji.

A few might call and start off about their own problems – you learn to avoid those calls. A few really nice ones may play your therapist for a while, but again, you know it’s your battle and your battle alone.

Your family members with whom you share your roof – your spouse, your parents, your children – they are the only ones who stay by your side till you are back on your feet.

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You have to help yourself

What choice do they have anyway? Beyond a point, they too have their own lives to lead, and you realize they’re trying to help themselves here as much as they’re trying to help you.

What really can help you get on your feet is your resilience, your inner strength, your fighting spirit. Love thyself, be kind to thyself. The day you realize that you cannot always keep leaning on people around you for support is when your own legs become strong.

It’s when you understand there are no crutches around that you know you have to pick yourself up and move one step at a time.

So this year, take a vow to love yourself more, be appreciative of yourself. Take help by all means when you need to – but always know that you are where you are because of who you are.

Image source: Shylendrahoode via Getty Images, free and edited on CanvaPro

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