Growing up with a father who was a devoted Liverpool fan, the song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was the anthem of my childhood. I have heard that song more times than I could count. My dad frequently hummed the song to himself while he was working on anything. The words were printed on his team scarf and those words were sung by millions of fans at Liverpool soccer games we so often watched.
This coming semester, my roommate will be moving out and I will be living by myself. Over the past few days as our friends have found out she won’t be returning after winter break; they have asked me how I am feeling about it. Most days, without even giving it much thought, I give my default response, “Well, it’s going to be very lonely.”
For small reasons like doing similar things in school and both of us being introverted, we have gotten along pretty well. So well, that people sometimes even ask us if we were friends before coming into college. But now she is leaving, and I will be lonely. Or at least that is what I keep telling everyone.
As I thought more about what the semester to come would be like, I remembered the song I heard on infinite occasions as a kid. There will definitely be days when I will come home after a bad day or after something exciting happens, and I won't have anyone to rant to or celebrate with but that does not mean I will be alone.
Loneliness is subjective and being alone is objective. Loneliness is feeling like there is no one around but being alone is actually not having anyone around. But not having anyone around is impossible. If it looks like you don't even have a single soul around you, know you at least have God, "...for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” You may be lonely but you are never alone.
And the words of Oscar Hammerstein II have never rang more true:
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone.
