The Value of Lonely

This beautiful video about being alone had been making its way around the internet but I had been avoiding it. Admittedly, I have a hard time being alone and somewhere in my brain I thought that watching this video would have meant that I was preparing myself for loneliness.

It took reading my friend Kimberly's blog and seeing that she felt it was the single most beautiful thing she had ever read, seen, or heard for me to succumb to pressing the play button and watching it.

I am glad I did.

Her first words: "If you are, at first, lonely - be patient" spoke to me directly. It was almost as if she had said "Danielle" before starting that sentence because I am not patient when I am - at first - lonely.

There are times when I am alone for 5-10 days at a time because the nature of Steve's job has him away at trainings and conferences to be brought up to date on the latest technologies. During these times I have a tendency to make plans and surround myself with my closest friends or visit family because I am subconsciously afraid of being alone. 

"...and it doesn't mean you're not connected, the community's not present. Just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it."

This video has given me the perspective I need to start to understand the value of being alone. Steve is heading out to Colorado soon for more training - a 10-day jaunt - which means I'll be given opportunity to be alone for long stretches at a time.

I will take this time to do some of the things I've always wanted to do alone and been too afraid to try. I will find the beauty and value of being alone.

"But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray." - Luke 5:16