You surround yourself with family and friends but still feel like you are alone. All by yourself even when you know that you aren’t. You can go from being happy with your friends then in an instant to being in your head about being lonely.

You would love to be out and about with friends but can’t shake that feeling. The feeling that you aren't good enough. When your friends make plans without you, hurts you more than you let on because you don’t like expressing how you truly feel. You see everyone going out to the bar or club while you are sitting in your dorm/apartment wishing you could be out there, too.

With your friends, you feel like they purposely push you away or don’t invite you, which makes you rethink everything about who you are. You see on your social media that they are out making memories, and you feel that they made sure not to invite you.

You are the type of person that would rather hide behind your smile then telling how you really feel because you don’t want to upset anyone. You are the one that puts everyone first but don’t feel others have the same belief. Always taught others before self.

When you need the alone time and a mental break, you need it for a day but everyone thinks you want ten days of being alone. That is not the case. Another is when they assume that you are busy, but you are not. Assuming is the bad seed in a friendship because after a few times of a friend declining an invitation to go out or if you have no money that all the times afterwards they assume you aren’t available, which is not the case. You wish that they could still ask you because you want to feel included and thought of. Dear friends allow me the opportunity to accept or decline, please don’t make that decision for me.

You are the one that everyone goes to be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, but they aren’t when you need them. And here you are “alone” again. I am always here for you and would love that to be reciprocal. The strength you see is real, but there are times I need someone else to lean on instead of the one everybody goes to with their worries and sorrows.

You get to the point where the only emotion you can show is through tears. Your true emotions are hidden even from your closet friends because you feel like you are imposing. Emotions are a tricky thing because you are feeling more than just one when you are alone.

With all the love that you surround yourself with your friends and family, there is still the feeling that no one will love you. The feeling that no one truly loves you for who you are even with your flaws. You show your love for everyone and everything in your life but don’t feel it reciprocated. You feel like no one will ever love.

Well, sweetheart, you and I are the same. I know what it feels like to be alone while surrounded by loved ones. We both like to hide while showing the world that everything is good and happy. But somewhere along the way, we have lost who we are and our happiness. It’s time to share yourself, your fears, your loneliness, you hurts, your pains, your love, your compassion and yourself. We are the ones with the biggest of hearts but also need to have others to relay on when it gets too much.

Stop hiding behind that “fake” smile. Get out of our heads and express how we really feel. Love yourself for who you are.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” ~ The Help