Not a loner, just lonely

My mother has always been the type of person who loves to give unwarranted advice. God knows I don't always enjoy listening, but in the end I love her for it. Since I was in kindergarten my mother has told me the same thing, "If you ever see someone sitting by themselves, especially at lunch, invite them to sit with you. Give them a friend." This was a lesson that was engrained into my head by my mother. She wanted to push me to be a better person. By the time I was in 6th grade my mother's words of wisdom had seeped their way into my soul and I was ready to do as my mother had always said to do. Every day the same girl in my class walked through her day talking to no one in particular. She went to the cafeteria, got her food and sat by herself. One day as I knew most of my friends wouldn't be able to sit with me I gained the courage to be the person my mother had always asked me to be. I walked right over to her and asked if she wanted to eat lunch with me. She smiled and said yes. I remember feeling nervous even asking her. Her answer made me feel so relieved. It is odd looking back thinking that I was worried about being rejected by the girl who had never sat with anyone. I learned something from her that day. It was about 3 months into the school year when I finally asked her to sit with me. That doesn't seem like so long, except that I was the first person in our school to even bother talking to her or introducing myself. No one else had bothered to say hello or even put an ounce of effort into making the new girl feel welcome. I made a friend that day. Someone I would be close to through middle school and high school. Someone who I am friends with today. Without whom I would have shared less inside jokes, less secrets and less sleepovers. My mother wasn't just giving me advice so that other people would feel included, she was giving me advice that would change my life. It is because of that day and that advice that I don't fear talking to new people or walking up to someone who is alone and asking to learn about their life. You'll be surprised. Each time I took this advice I made a new friend and gained new experiences that I will always be thankful for. So, if you ever see anyone who is by themselves, ask them to talk or hang out or each lunch..... it is more likely than not that they aren't a loner, just lonely.