You Can Be Your Best Friend

Dad: I’m afraid that you’re going to be lonely living at grad student housing as an undergrad.

What I should’ve responded: my best friend is going to live here. They can completely empathize with me and will always make time for me. We will be spending a lot of time together. That person is me.

I realize that this above statement can sound extremely sad since loneliness and not having friends (besides yourself) in general can suck a lot. I’ve been there myself. However, I can’t force people to spend time with me. Realizing that I’m always going to be there for myself and can enjoy my own company can be incredibly freeing. If I can enjoy being with myself, I don’t need to be afraid of being lonely. Wouldn’t this ultimately free me from loneliness?

Ironically, this post was inspired by my recent conversations with friends and other nice people. I’ll keep them anonymous in case they like being anonymous.