You are not the only one. We have walked this path too.

On a rainy afternoon, I set hundreds of thank-you cards on the checkout conveyor belt at my neighborhood Target.

In normal circumstances, a trip to Target would have been a treat. It would have put a pep in my step and a Starbucks coffee in my hand. But not this time.

This time, I could not enjoy Target. I was too exhausted.

Exhausted from crying. Exhausted from sleepless nights. Exhausted from funeral planning. Exhausted from the sheer amount of effort it was taking to get through each waking minute in this new unwanted reality.

As the cashier rang up my thank-you cards, he looked up and cracked a smile.

“What are all of these thank-you cards for? Did you just get married?” he asked cheerfully.

My heart sank.

I was frozen in time. Why would he ask me such a thing? How cruel. How heartless.

Scenes of my wedding day flashed before my eyes until I came back to myself.

“Ahem. Uhhh, no. No, I didn’t.” I looked up, dazed as the shock wore off. There was no way I was about to tell him these were thank-you cards for the people who had just attended my late husband’s funeral the week before. The funeral I hated planning. Nope. I knew I could not get that sentence out of my mouth without a full-on public meltdown.

I managed to muster up a fake half-smile, hurried up and grabbed all of my shopping bags, and walked toward the exit door as fast as I could.

In an air of embarrassment, I walked through the parking lot to my car with tears in my eyes.

Those tears were the kinds of tears shed in moments when we feel most alone. In the moments that remind us that while we are walking through one of the most horrific times of our lives, others are living carefree. Unburdened.

They are laughing. They are falling in love. They are getting married.

And, although we may be someone who would usually rejoice for others, this contrast can stir up sadness and loneliness, even for the best of us.

If you have found yourself in this kind of loneliness, remember you are not alone.

Even if you do not know anyone currently, trust and know many have passed the way you are facing right now. I share this story to remind you of that truth. Many of us have walked this path before you and made it to a new reality in which our broken hearts are mended. Somehow and with time, we have welcomed a return of love, joy, and peace, and so will you.