Here’s more of my dad’s Food 4 Thought. I think this one is so important, because I’ve felt this way too many times.
My dad loved people. I guess he got that trait from his mother. He sure loved her over the moon. The old saying that fits is, he “doted on his mother.” After my grandfather passed away, I could see my grama acted differently. That’s when dad explained that people can feel sad and lonely even when they’re not by themselves.
I didn’t understand right away. Now, I know he was trying to tell me, his heart broke for his mother who missed her “honey.”
My dad knew my grama loved to cook, so he opened a Mexican food walk-up for her. It was on the waterfront on the Balboa Beach peninsula across from Lido Island. I think he hoped that being busy would take her mind off her feeling of loss. I don’t know if it did or not.
She did seem less sad, but I was young. What did I know?
She was lonely, and my dad tried to help her. The truth is that he couldn’t help her. She had to help herself. The lesson dad wanted me to learn was more important than I knew when I was a still young girl.
2. Avoid feeling lonely. Although you're never really alone in this life, sometimes people do feel so lonely, they want to be left alone. The worst thing a person can do when you’re lonely is “be alone.” Not good. Not healthy at all.
Being “left” alone can be a prescription that leads to doing something that can’t be undone. Don’t let it happen. Loneliness leads to depression. Don’t let yourself feel alone.
Keep in mind that even if someone is literally surrounded by happy fans at a crowded football game, that lonely feeling can steal the joy away. We may never know the real reasons why we feel lonely. There are so many reasons that we can't understand.
Some reasons could be that a person feels socially uneasy or awkward or too fat or too ugly, too old, too tired and weak. Stupid or worthless. Some feel hopeless, unappreciated, neglected, misunderstood, disrespected, unloved, hated. Betrayed.
If you feel lonely, here’s what you can do to get yourself out of it. Call or visit with someone who might feel alone, too. It could be a relative, neighbor, the janitor at school, priest or paster, or someone you don't even know.
When you help someone feel less alone, you're no longer alone. Do this once, and you’ll understand. You’ll never feel alone again with this little step to heal yourself and help someone else at the same time. It’s that simple. Help others and in doing so, you help yourself.
Hope Dad’s Lonely Lesson helps you like it helps me.
You would have liked my dad. He would have made you feel as though you were the most important person he's ever met.
I know he would have liked you.
That's what's on my mind today here at Being Grand. Have a wonderful day. Give someone your smile today.