You are alone? Are you lonely?

While in a tele conversation with an old friend today, she asked, "Who is at home with you"? I told her "Alone". "Alone?" she said, "Where are your children?". I explained they have their own lives and do not stay at home much. Then she asked "do you feel lonely?" I said "No".

After the conversation, I examined again her question and my answer. What is loneliness? I think if being lonely as I understand it, is a feeling of isolation, of being cut off from other human beings, of being "deprived", of being "in grief", then my answer is definitely still "No, I am not lonely".

I think being alone does not necessarily equate to being lonely. I think I can still be alone and enjoy the things that I do, like writing, reading, watching the television, gardening, cooking, listening to music, even house cleaning or just resting, without feeling at all lonely.