Being busy doesn’t mean you’re not lonely... what other presenters think

“Yeah, of course I’ve had times in my life when I’ve been lonely. That’s when I really, really appreciate someone around me who loves me, who cares about me, who’s known me a long time, making that effort to pick up the phone. And it’s just that simple thing: ‘Are you all right?’

“And don’t be getting the impression from a guy like me, ‘Oh he’s really busy’ ... you can be really busy and still be a little bit lonely.

“I’m very aware this year, that for those of us who are lucky enough still to have our health, those of us who are lucky enough still have work or still have people around us, just that little gesture of picking up the phone to someone else: ‘How you doing, are you all right?’

“And sometimes you hear the joy in their voice that you’ve done it.

“And that’s priceless. I see it with my mum. My mum is 79 now and she’s lost touch with a few friends.

“I said to her recently, ‘Why don’t you ring such and such?’. And then there was a conversation for an hour or two hours, reminiscing.”

Declan Harvey

“When the word loneliness is mentioned, lots of people think of older listeners living on their own and their families have maybe moved on.

“When

I think of loneliness,

I also think of younger listeners as well ... mums who are at home all day with their baby ... people who have lost their partners ... people in their thirties who are single and they’re isolating at home.

“They have had a very, very long year as well and sometimes I think they’re being slightly forgotten. But we try not to forget them.”

“Before my mum passed away she used to say the worst thing was the loneliness. She was on her own.

“It might be all day and she’d talked to a few people on the phone but she wouldn’t see anybody.

“And at the moment it’s very difficult to see people.

“So we have to stay connected by ringing, by texting, by just waving on the way past somebody’s window. I’ve got some older neighbours and I always make the point when I go past of waving in. A, to see that they’re okay, and B, just to let them know there’s somebody out there, somebody thinking about them.”

Fr Brian D’arcy

“Six weeks ago, when I tested positive for Covid-19, I had to isolate for two weeks. I found it difficult, especially in the second week, and what disturbed me most was experiencing a desperate loneliness, especially at night.

During the day, I took short walks in the woods around here, and those walks saved my sanity, really. Surprisingly, I completely lost the ability to pray in my usual way. And eventually I just accepted it.

“During the walks I allowed God to speak to me. I simply listened to the beauty of nature, the fresh air, the peace and calm all around — creation prayed with me, and for me. It was the most comforting and the most real prayer I’ve ever experienced.

“Loneliness ... is a crisis that, properly handled, can actually present us with a unique opportunity to build a compassionate, kinder and less divisive society. Loneliness does not discriminate between young or old, rich or poor, urban or rural. And during this Covid crisis, loneliness has reached epidemic levels, and we should recognise that.”