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The Bravest Thing We Will Ever Do
Many of us find ourselves at a crossroads in the middle of our lives. Many of us that stay the course, find ways of negotiating that life going forward, find hope in the possibilities of the future, and have the right kind of energy to put into it.
Those of us that decide on a different path, find ourselves in a strange new world, with a millions questions and no answers. How to go forward, how to respect ourselves, demand respect from others, and find what we need are just some of the quandaries we face.
Today, I was at my therapy appointment, enjoying my time with her, but always aching for clues to the next step. Today, the next step is simple, although almost impossibly difficult. It is this: to allow him to love me. Yes, there is a new “him”. He has been around for 15 months now and isn’t likely to go anywhere, anytime soon. I think he’s a keeper.
Most of the time, people talk about their struggle to “love again”. That has never been my struggle. I love, no matter, which is why I was able to stay married for 27 years. To love again, is something I do everyday. But to allow myself to be loved…that is another thing altogether.
The issue at hand is around reciprocity. Many years ago, in a former life, with a husband, I learned that my needs were not going to be met, plain and simple. In fact, in the first…