Long ago and far away, there was a woman with an open heart. This woman gave much of her love to many people, but never received as much love in return. She was glad for every friend she had, though she never seemed to be able to keep any one for very long. For one reason or another, her friends grew distant, kept her away, and the friendships faded away. She often felt she was living only in the shadow of each friend’s life, not told to leave, but never completely welcomed into their light.
She yearned to explore more of the world, and meet new friends, but feared the loneliness she would feel leaving her friends. So, she stayed in her familiar friends’ shadows, but she sent out letters. She put messages in bottles, and tied tiny scrolls to migrating birds in the hopes that her letters of friendship might reach someone, somewhere, who would be her true friend.
She feared leaving or attempting to change anything in her friendships for fear of losing her friends and being lonely; until one day, she realized that she was already lonely.
Finally fed up of shadow friendships, the woman set off, alone. She found adventure and friendship on her journey as she always walked in the light and never felt the loneliness of being in another’s shadow again.
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Sometimes it’s more lonely being with someone than being alone.
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[Could not find original photo credit]