Finding Joy In Solitude

I remember sitting on the shores of a beach in Vietnam. The rain had just stopped and the surface of the lake was covered with mist finally lifting from the downpour. My tour group had all ran for cover and returned to our nearby hotel. I was absolutely exhausted as the roadtrip was long and it occurred to me that group travel was not my preferred format. While I do consider myself a social person, there is something I value so much about solitude.

My eyes settled on a loan boat wafting on the sea. I wondered how many days, how many hours did the fisherman spend alone? I mused at how odd it was that as children in school we are so often encouraged to make friends, socialize, spurring sometimes silly popularity contests and turning what should be natural connections into a sort of competition. Did we have the most friends? Belonged to the most popular groups? How awful the plight of the "loner" must have been. The whispers of the outcast that would plague a person's social status was to be avoided.

As an adult I try to strike a balance between forming and maintaining social connections of genuine care and finding peace in solitude. I keep a small circle of friends whom I share intimate details of my life with and take a keen interest in theirs. Friendships and relationships for me come from a place of care and confidence. I would like my friends to have confidence that no matter what happens on this journey we call life that they can count on me. That I will be there for them through good times and during bad times I will do whatever I can to support them. I treasure these relationships in my circle of trust.

Solitude comes easily to me. I welcome being alone. Solitude allows for clarifying thoughts, and feelings, and finally action. Also, there is something amazing that happens to the soul in solitude. The natural slowing down of the daily rhythm of life allows for a reconditioning of sorts. A cleanse of the tensions, anxiousness, and stresses that sometimes are a result of the quick paced lives that most of us lead.

As I continued to take in the serene surroundings I immensely enjoyed my solitude. Inhaling the air, fresh from a rainstorm and watching the surface of the sea change hues as the light slowly filtered through the clouds lifting away from the peaks of the lush green mountains. Little boat. I see you.