In plural… towards the meeting… (… do with you, share with everyone)

We are not made for solitude. We are beings “for another.” We are “someone” for “someone.”

Loneliness has many faces. Sometimes it arrives gently, like a caressing silence. Other times, it erupts harshly, like a void that disrupts everything inside. We live in a paradoxical time: we are more connected than ever, yet more alone… Loneliness has become a silent pandemic, and learning to live with it—without letting it destroy us—is one of the great challenges of our time.

The loneliness that hurts arrives unbidden. That loneliness that is not chosen, that wounds… is a void that disrupts inner balance, a silence that doesn’t rest, but rather deafens with pain. It’s not a space for meeting, but rather a tunnel that isolates. This loneliness doesn’t heal; it sickens. It doesn’t strengthen; it weakens. And if we don’t face it head-on, it can become a pit with no way out.

We’ve all experienced it at some point: the kind that appears after a loss, a betrayal, an abandonment… or even when we’re surrounded by people who look at us, but don’t see us. That gaze is like rain rolling on glass. It’s the loneliness that doesn’t embrace you, that leaves you  emotionally exposed.

The solitude that heals is a sought-after solitude, one that invites calm and self-discovery. It’s the silence that allows you to listen to yourself, the time you give yourself to sort through what’s inside. This solitude is a companion, not an enemy.

It’s what we find when we close our eyes amidst the noise, when we pause to breathe deeply, when we sip a cup of coffee in silence, gazing at the horizon. It’s not an escape, but a return: a space for inner renewal.

The storm clouds of an emotional pandemic herald a storm.

Although loneliness has always been part of the human condition, today we are witnessing a worrying phenomenon: we are living more alone, feeling a loneliness that dehumanizes us… even in the most populated cities. Social media can bring us closer, but it also creates a feeling of emptiness when the connection is superficial, slippery…

“Algorithms don’t hug”

The so-called “loneliness epidemic” doesn’t discriminate between ages. Young people, adults, and seniors can feel emotionally disconnected, even when they’re not physically alone.

“Unwanted loneliness is a void that disrupts inner balance. And that silence can be deafening with pain. It’s a killer silence.”

This loneliness is not a good traveling companion.

It distorts reality because it is invasive.

Allowing yourself to be helped is a good decision. It’s hard to ask for help. However, we are beings polished by the friction of love and pain. Let us allow ourselves to be polished by the love that forgives and understands; that love that knows how to look deeply and discover, through appearances, the truth and reason behind every behavior. Judgment hurts because it most often refers to the person based on a biased view of their behavior. The harshest judges are ourselves.

Mercy liberates.

Managing love and pain. Presence and absence.

We can’t eliminate loneliness from our lives, but we can learn to live with it in a healthy way.

For this reason, it is important:

• Recognizing yourself in it: accepting its existence, without denying or disguising it. Naming it is already an act of care.
• Maintain emotional routines: a heartfelt message, a phone call, a walk… small gestures that remind us that we are connected beings. Take personal initiative.
• Creating spaces that embrace our inner selves: listening to calming music, writing down what we feel, praying, caring for plants… simple acts that sustain the soul. Discovering God’s loving gaze and cultivating that friendship that never abandons…
• Accepting good company: We don’t always need long conversations; sometimes the quiet presence of someone who accepts us with our strengths and weaknesses is enough.

Without hurting, with hope, we talk about the loneliness that hurts, not to mimic it, nor to wallow in it, but to acknowledge its existence and build bridges to those who suffer from it. It is possible to learn to transform harmful loneliness into a time of inner maturity. And it is essential to remember that there is always someone—divine or human—who can accompany us through this journey.

Solitude, well lived, doesn’t kill; it teaches. And the solitude that suffocates, when embraced with care and in company, can become an unexpected teacher.

There are solitudes that teach us how to breathe. But the loneliness that hurts, the one that takes our breath away, the one that silently kills, we mustn’t ignore it. It’s there, sometimes closer than we think.

Caring for ourselves and others is the most humane way to learn to live with it, without it robbing us of hope.

What crushes, does not generate life. Life generates hope!

I wish you always see yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you.