The real gift
Embracing Solitude
Sometimes, it means being free.
You know that hollow feeling when you’re alone? That silence that feels too loud? Yeah, I used to know it well. Too well.
There was a time when being alone terrified me. I’d turn the TV on just for background noise, imagine to call anyone who might pick up, or scroll endlessly through social media. Anything to escape that quiet.
Then life happened. A tough life, moving to a new country. Husband working for long hours. I was left alone with my son. Suddenly, solitude wasn’t a choice — it was my reality.
The First Days those initial days were the hardest.
Friday nights felt endless. Sundays? They stretched like years, with get-togethers, pool dinners, tiring, cleaning, and winding up. On Monday’s, I’d watch people walking in pairs outside my window, feeling like I was missing out on some secret everyone else knew.
The Breaking Point One rainy Saturday, no mobile phones, no Wi-Fi those days. No distractions. Just me, a cup of tea, my son playing with his favorite toy car, and the sound of rain. I remember…
