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Walking
into a new school in the middle of my seventh grade year, I felt waves
of excitement, fear and trepidation. No familiar faces—a whole
new set of classes, teachers and students to meet. New friends to make?
I hoped so, but on a day like this, that seemed too much to hope.
I'd had these feelings before, like coming into my fourth elementary
school in the middle of my second grade year. The students were all reciting
something I'd never heard: "I before E, except after C." I
felt like an alien, very lost and out of place.
It's happened to just about everyone at one time or another. Being a stranger in a new place, knowing no one, with no friends in sight. Or having your best friend move away, or worse, turn away and no longer be your friend.
Friends can give life both its zest and its stability. They can make the good times far better and the bad times much easier. But what can you do when life throws you a curve and takes you away from your friends? What if good friends are really hard to find?
Mother Teresa, a hero of the poor, sick and downtrodden of the world, was no stranger to disease and suffering. But when she was asked "What is the worst disease you have seen?" she replied: "Of all the diseases I have known, loneliness is the worst."
We all have times of loneliness—it can even happen in a crowd. But the God who made us doesn't want us to be lonely. He wants us to have strong, meaningful relationships—with our families, with friends, with His Church and with Him.
What can we do to gain more friends? Here are a few ideas gleaned from many wise people, young and old, and from observing many friendly people. Let's start with a very simple one that can have surprising results:
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