There are many different ways that someone can get to the point of being alone. Maybe the most straightforward way is that a person doesn’t enjoy the company of others and so they become a recluse—separating themselves from society. This person may see society as the problem, and so she or he wants some distance from it.
Another type of person may want to be alone because they believe the world doesn’t enjoy their company. Even if this person is with others, they feel lonely. This person sees him or herself as the problem. People that they used to care about have moved away or died. Others with whom they had some connections have stopped calling.
The truth, though, is that there is not a single person who is not connected to another. Spiritually speaking, it would not be possible for us to live without a connection to others. In fact, each person is a necessary center of a wheel, not merely a superfluous spoke that can be discarded with little consequence.
You can do something for people who feel disconnected. It’s very simple, and it’s the title of this article—say Hello. Just start with that. Greet somebody that you don’t usually say hi to. Hello lets a person know that they aren’t invisible—and yes, some people, either socially or literally, do think they are invisible. Hello lets them know they aren’t. By the way, it’s possible that the first several times you say hi won’t get a response. It’s not you—it’s them, or rather, their experiences that tell them not to expect anybody to notice them.
If hello is all you do, it’s still better than nothing. But hello opens the door. Now you can do things like ask how they are doing or find out their name if you don’t know it. Now you can talk about the weather or learn about their family. Now you can have tea or coffee or do a puzzle together.
See, words in and of themselves don’t do anything. But words are packages. These packages don’t just carry ideas and information, they are also a delivery system for love. Even the word hello is a very small package with a very small amount of love.
Let somebody around you know that they aren’t invisible and that they are connected. Reach out to someone you might not otherwise reach out to. Send a text. Leave a message. Use your mouth.
Say hello. I dare you.