When people see me, they mostly see a random smile and a naive joke on a face they choose to ignore. I’ve dealt with feeling like this is true my whole life. And it hurts. The empty, lonely, saddening feeling that settles in your chest and makes you wish just to find the people who would notice and accept you just for you and not for some superficial game or show or idea.

I’m feeling this feeling while writing this article and writing this article, so people know they are not the only ones who feel this. If you feel like the outcast in your own friend group, or you are the one who reaches out to all your friends when they never reach out to you, or you just want one or two people who would stand by you when you need it most…I feel your pain and I wish I could say that there is an easy fix but there isn’t. I’ve had really good friends before, but I still felt that I didn’t belong with them.

So, in conclusion, I know that this is an overused and clichéd line but: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS. It may feel like the loneliness is unbearable whenever you are without someone who you feel cares around, but if you look enough, you will find a person or two who will accept you in the most unlikely places. And if you are like me, you already have those people and just feel empty anyway. But that’s fine. It’s normal. Just take a breath, and let things happen as they will. Your people will come.

Yours truly,

Mentally Imperfect