Alone?

Yetti walked past my room last night and exclaimed, 'Grace! I see you!'
A strange statement, but it put a smile on my face.

~~
Although the 3 of us live together under one roof, we haven't been spending much time together recently, 'cos we've all been busy with work. Yetti and Karen have been leaving the house early for classes, and I've been staying late to finish experiments. But I haven't been alone there.

It's that time of the year when the Honours students are also staying back, trying to complete as many experiments as possible for their thesis. I remember that the same time last year, I was also frantically carrying out my last few experiments, while frenziedly typing and drafting out my thesis.

Everyone follows the same 'unspoken rules' here in the faculty, such as giving Honours students a priority when using shared resources and machines. I guess it's because many of us know and understand what they're going through.
Empathy.
After all, we went through Honours too.

I'm glad I don't have to go through all that again. Honours was, very honestly, one of the toughest years in my life (so far). Thankfully, I have friends and family who encouraged me and spurred me on. They say that if you survive honours, you'll survive anything... :) That's quite true. After spending 12-24 hours a day in the labs, working over 12 hours a day may still be difficult, but if I have to, I know that it's manageable. So I continue persevering (with an occasional winge or two... :)

But in a way, I envy the Honours students too... At least they would have finished everything at the end of this year. Whereas I'll still have at least 2 more years of experiments and thesis-writing to go... I've even joked about investing in a foldable bed in the lab, it's become my 'second home' :)

In a way, it's also strangely comforting (and disturbing) to know that I'm not the only one staying late in the labs.
Comforting, because I'm not the only one there, and I have people to talk to while running my experiments at night.
Disturbing, because although I've finished Honours, I'm still staying late in the labs anyway... never ending story... :)
However, I'm grateful for the company, and I guess it's comforting for the Honours students too... they won't be alone in the labs either.
~~~

So in reply to Yetti's 'strange statement' last night... I turned to her and laughed, 'I see you too!''
The 3 of us then sat in my room, watched 'House' together, and chatted.

Sadly, loneliness is a state of mind that plagues the hearts of many. There are many souls out there that are still lonely, even though they may also be surrounded by people .

But at times like this, I am reminded that whether or not I am the only person physically here,

I am not alone... whether at home, or in the labs.
I am blessed with family and friends, who love me and support me.
I have loved ones who will always be there for me if I need them,
and I have a God who loves, carries, and sustains me (Isaiah 49:6).

I was never alone... am not alone... and will never be alone.