I cannot remember the last time I felt like I belonged somewhere. It isn't anyone's fault, except perhaps my own. You see, I'm a daydreamer, I'm a romantic, I have a wild imagination that tends to lead me down the wrong path. I decide the way something should be and if it doesn't turn out that way I feel rejected, unloved, like I am not a part of something.

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day. We both feel the same way – like we can't connect with anyone, like there's more to life but we can't find it.

We are both in a similar stage of life right now. We both work part-time jobs, we both take classes, we both still live in the same town we've lived in since forever. But our experience is one shared by so many people our age.

So many people our age feel like islands. So many people in general feel alone.

So, if you feel like an island in the middle of the sea, this is for you.

You are not an island. You are more loved than you know, and you have no idea of the effect you have on other people. I know that sometimes you'll pour yourself into someone, love them as best you can, and then it seems to go unnoticed. It is not.

It is highly unlikely that people will ever react to you the way you would like them to, but that does not mean that you should stop loving them. Some people may never tell you how much they love you and the things you do, but that does not mean that your actions and words are worthless.

I'm sorry if you feel lost, unable to connect to anyone around you. I know exactly how that feels, but my mother, possibly the wisest person in the world (coming from an unbiased source, of course) told me something I will never forget.

I was raving about one of my coworkers, who is a constant source of sunshine and love. He is the type of person I would like to be - selfless, thoughtful, and kind. I complained to my mom, telling her that, try as I might, I'm just not like him. I don't have the ability to make people feel loved like he does. And, in a much more selfish vain, I am not loved by people like he is. So, my mother asked me, "Have you ever told him that you look up to him? That he makes your life better?"

When I said no, she laughed and said that that's it. We don't vocalize our positive feelings towards people very much. It doesn't mean that people don't appreciate you and the effort you put into being a part of this world.

It is easy to feel like an island. I don't actually have advice as to how to move on from that feeling. I don't know how to make you connect with people. I'm still trying to get there. In fact, I don't think I ever will get there. The older I get, the more I realize that life is simply not what you picture it to be.

So, this article isn't really a fix it. It's just a little reminder to keep on doing what you do. Don't isolate yourself because you feel isolated. Keep loving people as best you can, keep smiling, laughing, and encouraging. Even if they never tell you, you do mean something to people. They do appreciate the effort you put into them. You are not actually aware of how much you mean to people. And maybe next someone does something that makes you feel loved, tell them. They need to know just as much as you do.