The holidays are a special time. They bring together friends, family and other loved ones for a time of merriment, appreciation and expressing affection for one another.
But for some, the holidays are a tough time to get through. It can be especially difficult when there are no loved ones to surround yourself with.
This is the predicament one man found himself in, and it is one that is more common than we often realize.
Patrick Cakirli, a Danish blogger, suffered from loneliness and self-doubt.
In an admitted plea for help, Patrick posted a message to Yik Yak on December 7, 2016.
The note reads:
I am desperate to meet new friends. I’m lonely and going through the hardest period of my life. I’ll sit on the stairs in front of the town hall from 2pm to 8pm. I have black pants and a North Face bag on.
Over 1,100 strangers offered an up-vote in return, as a sign of solidarity. But, amazingly, 13 people responded to Patrick’s message.
All 13 people – all complete strangers to one another – went to Patrick’s designated location and showed up to support him. The strangers admitted that many also felt the sting of loneliness, but were afraid to reach out because of judgment.
When Patrick saw his 13 new friends, he was overcome with emotion: “I was so overwhelmed with joy, that I had to fight back tears.”
Look how happy he looks with his new friends! You can see Patrick on the lower right hand corner.
The group all look happy and comfortable around each other. You would have never guessed they were complete strangers before that day.
Many other strangers reached out to Patrick’s request. Before long, his story went viral. He gave several interviews to newspapers and spoke on various Danish TV shows and radio shows about his experience.
Patrick quickly realized that he wasn’t the only one who felt lonely. So, inspired by his own experience, Patrick left his job as a Danish blogger and began a peer-to-peer network called Smilet Danmark.
The network helps people find new friends while fighting against the stigma and taboos of loneliness.
To raise awareness for his cause, Patrick embarked on a 10-day walk across Denmark. There was one strict condition he had to follow: for every step of the way, he had to have someone walk with him.
Over 70 people offered to be that person and join Patrick’s efforts.
Since that one desperate message on an app, Patrick’s whole life has changed for the better. He has dropped out of school as a programmer in order to travel and help others combat loneliness.
He has absolutely no regrets, and calls his choice the “best decision of my life.”
Based on the collage of pictures above, I’d have to agree. It looks like Patrick is having the time of his life and making friends everywhere he goes.
He came a long way from the person who posted that message on Yik Yak, and it’s absolutely inspiring.
Please SHARE this young man’s inspiring story with your friends and family.
