Solitude . . . the state of being solitary, alone, only one. 

Solitude . . . A time of meeting the 'within' when seemingly abandoned by the 'without'. A sojourn through a despair, a nothingness, and all that you really are. Not what you appear to be, but what you are.

Solitude . . . A period to discover and face your fears, your desperation, your aspirations, your meanings, and your purpose. The mind cries out into the whys and the wherefores of happenstance. The heart feels anguish, wrath, and defeat. Yet on this inner journey, within this Solitude, the 'Soul' of your Being will purge the flurry of rampant emotions, and the mind will be left empty . . . still. Empty, so that you may again fill with a simple silence for a time. A rest, a surrender, an acceptance of where and what you are.

Then, ever so faintly, the silence that surrounds you begins to murmur a soft melody. A sweet sonata of hope, a trust, a direction. And it is then that the harmony of this sojourn amidst inner turmoil bursts forth into a Symphony.

Solitude.

Not a burden forced to be borne, but a gift to embrace. For only within our deepest self, can we discover and climb our highest mountain.