All you have to do is reach out to others. No one can be there for you if you don't make the effort to reach out. Many of us will gladly be there for you

I know the feeling. I thought I had a best friend. She moved and doesn't call anymore but she comes to see her neighbor from before. That hurts when she talks about that. She still volunteers where I work so I do see her. It is like we were never close. I feel abandoned by this "friend" that I thought I could count on.

Mama_Kat, what you said is so true. I think we all can use and need a good friend, but it seems impossible to find one these days. Either, it seems, folks already have enough friends and aren't looking for any new ones...or folks are so absorbed in their own lives and technology that our society is heading towards one of increased isolation. Like you, I would cherish just one close/loyal friend...who could share their joys and fears with me when they needed...and I could do the same with them. It's harder and harder to find such a friend these days...but we just have to keep the faith that that special friend may enter our lives tomorrow...so keep the hope and faith.

I understand how you feel. Both of my best friends died in 2017. Just a week ago, my closest remaining friend moved to MO for work. And I found out this morning that another friend is moving to SC. Even if it weren't for these bad circumstances, I feel like it is harder to make and keep friends as you get older. I'm 37. The people that I used to call friends are married and having kids, basically turning into their parents. That's not the lifestyle I want. I enjoy being independent, going out to bars, concerts, and not being limited by the strictures of marriage and parenthood. So I'm very lonely. I no longer have someone to confide in or share my interests with. I don't want this lifestyle either.

Hello. I just joined and it looks like we have similar loneliness issues. I don’t know what to advise you but just to mention people seem so wrapped up in themselves and don’t “want” any more friends. That’s what happened with me. A coworker and I used to go out and do things occasionally on the weekend then all of a sudden she’s incommunicado. The couple times she did call me were butt dials! So...

Completely understand. I have some chronic illnesses and that plays a big part in loneliness. But also, I have just experienced so many losses. My husband's family has drifted away (intentionally), my foster daughter is caught up in a "tight knit" religious group, whose views I totally disagree with, my sisters are all split up and fighting, my aunt has distanced herself from me and one of my sisters, a couple of good friends have died. I long for the weekend and when it comes I am lonely a lot of the time. I do have a loving husband and adult son, but sometimes I just need a friend too. Just someone to call at the end of the day and say "Hey, how was your day"? I don't feel that I have had a say in a lot of the losses (my aunt, husband's family); they have just chosen to disengage from us. I could write a book. I think that we all could. So much to write but I feel like I am going on about me and this is your post. Hope that you find a good friend. I do think that being sick makes it a whole lot harder.

So, new friends. Hi! What shall we talk about? I’m hoping to find people here who’d rather not talk about how lonely or sick they are. I think it’s a given, because we are here, that things aren’t going so well. Anyone feel the same?

Books: For me, a good book is so helpful. I’ve recently r read “From the Corner of the Oval” and a few others. Authors I like are Ann Patchett, Anna Quindlen, Elizabeth Strout, Sue Monk Kidd, Barbara Kingsolver. Anyone want to start getting to know one another by talking about our favorite books and why we liked them.

Other ideas: movies? Etc.