Breathe.Gratitude.Love.

Isolation seeps into life in small removals that tend to go unnoticed.  A meaningful friendship is stretched into nonexistence by time and distance.  Children become young adults and leave home to seek their own adventure.  Relationships fall apart leaving still reflections of broken dreams.  

Soon we find ourselves lost in the distractions of life.  Perhaps we notice the lack of close friendships but compensate with overworking to keep this realization at bay.    The strains of an overwhelming existence dwindles trips to see the kids who are now adults.  We skip holiday functions to avoid inevitable questions about our weight, life choices and failed relationships.  Soon a life filled with family, friends and meaningful connections is reduced to a life of one.

The initial detachment gives us space to breathe.  We are grateful for the respite from social responsibilities and pressures.  But soon we realize this brief respite is lingering longer than expected.  Perhaps we thought things would remain the same until we were able to get back on our feet, but life continued to move forward seemingly without any thought of us.  The people we once depended on have new interests or responsibilities that lower our rank on their priority list.  We also notice our own personal changes that may no longer align with the people and activities that once kept our attention.    

 We navigate the feeling of being left behind and allow for the natural unfolding of our grief.  We reminisce on past happiness and wish that we had held on a little tighter for a little longer.  We feel as though we have traveled a long journey to arrive at feeling lost.   We  sit in the inescapable silence that rings louder than any other noise.  

With the silence comes the voice of things that have laid dormant within us for countless years, awaiting their chance to have their say.  We hear the parts of us that are hurt or angry, disappointed or scared.  Instead of pushing those parts away, we allow them to lead us to the source of our pain and begin the process of healing.    We begin to find out who we really are and what we truly believe about ourselves and the world around us.  We recall the projects that we started sometime ago but never finished, or new inspiration infuses an old idea that wants to come back to life.  

This is not to say that isolation is always easy.  There are times when we just want someone to be there for us.  But we keep moving forward with the awareness that space is being made for the right people, places and circumstances to enter our lives.  We realize that our vibration is changing, making it difficult for old situations to fit into our new outlook.  Feelings of loneliness are replaced by appreciation for the peace we have cultivated.  The protection of this peace overrides fleeting desires for superficial connections.  We look for new and expansive ways to grow personally and creatively. 

Allowing isolation to run its course is a challenge in self-love and self-acceptance  Many see a quiet life with few connections as something to pity.  Those who are wise see this time as a gift from Life that allows true transformation to begin.  What is meant for us will be returned in ways we could never imagine and much greater than any previous expectation.  We detach from our limited idea of an outcome and begin to trust the process of our becoming.

What is the greatest gift that you’ve found during isolation?

Copyright Madeline A. Cameron March 2025