There is a state that requires no explanation. When you are alone, but not lonely. When the silence in the room is not a signal of alarm, but a way to take a break from the world. People often confuse solitude with emptiness, and as soon as a slight anxiety sounds in your voice, the advice immediately begins: “Go on a trip”, “Sign up for a club”, “Meet someone”. As if your peace must necessarily be filled.
But not every evening hour requires company. Sometimes it is enough for the clock to tick and the tea to slowly cool down. I have noticed: when you say “I am fine alone”, people stop feeling sorry for you. They hear confidence, not anxiety. Solitude is not a hole that needs to be filled – it is a home, cozy and warm, even when you are alone in it. And to explain it to everyone means to risk someone starting to “rearrange” your inner comfort according to their ideas about happiness.
Your inner world is not public domain. It is like a jewel. The older you get, the greater your right to silence — to choose who and what to share with, and to whom to simply smile and change the subject to a cup of tea.
Old age is not just age. It is an art — to guard your inner flame and not share it with everyone you meet. So that it burns brightly and does not go out.
