DO you know what’s the most painful word in the English language? I think its “alone”.

All of us, at one time or another, have tasted the bitterness of being lonely, being all alone in the world without a companion with whom to share a thought or a part of our life.

The tragedy is that so many human beings not only know that the world can be a bitter place, but also become very well-acquainted with its bitterness through having to “taste” it daily in their lives.

You often see them – lonely people in every city; thousands of them trudging the streets all by themselves and tasting the dregs of loneliness. That is their regular way of life. It doesn’t seem right, but it is a fact.

What can we do about that?

Well, there is only one solution, of course. Make friends. You can have friends, you know, if you want them. Friends are the only solution to loneliness.

But to have friends, you must be one yourself.

There are some men and women who seem to have a knack for making friends. You know them, I’m sure. To begin with, they do not put up barriers – as so many others do – by having strong prejudices or hatred towards people of any other race, creed or class.

They do not carry silly prejudices in their hearts against, for instance, fat people, those with long noses, etc. They just look upon the entire human race as raw material out of which good friendships can be forged, and they make the best of their natural resources.

Therefore, the way to have people like you is for you to like people. The only permanent peace plan for the world is the friendship plan. – Marlina Sara Sylvester

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