I used to worry about loneliness. About not having anyone to share the second half of my life with. Although it’s true that throughout my youth I believed solitude was a valid way to live, a few years ago I realized that solitude is good for a time, but not forever. We cannot go through life alone. We are social beings, and we need to share our lives with someone—especially in old age.

That led me to overthink the fact that I was alone and that maybe I wouldn’t find anyone to walk forward with. That worry didn’t last long, though, because I realized that neither death nor love are things one searches for; both arrive on their own, when we least expect them, without us being prepared.

So for both, we must be ready. In mind, body, emotions, and spirit, we have to be prepared for whatever is meant to come our way. Without worries, stress, or anxiety. Simply being happy with what we have and grateful for each new day. Loneliness will end when it is meant to end for us.