Where else can I find strength when my family cannot offer support?

You can gradually look beyond family. Family matters, but not every household can provide enough care and understanding. I have met people who sincerely wanted communication but repeatedly received no response and felt lonely. Classmates, colleagues, friends or people sharing an interest may also offer strength and accompany you for part of the journey.

If you find people at work or school you can talk with, nurture those relationships. If neither place offers that, consider courses, clubs or volunteer groups that interest you. Rather than only envy others’ circles of companions, try participating yourself and meet people who enjoy the same thing and willingly work together.

Earlier in life, I volunteered at a blood donation centre and took acting classes at Shilin Community University. Enjoying performance gave me shared topics with friends, and we later formed an amateur theatre group together. During those years, we often gathered, ate and went out together. It was joyful, and I truly experienced the strength of mutual support.

A supportive partner or family is certainly worth cherishing. People with faith may also gain an inner reliance from believing deities and Buddhas are present. Support can come from different places rather than only one option. Finding people to learn, share and grow with can gradually help you move beyond a feeling of nothing but loneliness.