Trust and Love
The older I get, the more I value non-judgmental trust from my friends and loved ones. I under-appreciated this quality in my earlier life, instead basing friendships and relationships mostly on things like dancing ability, tastes, attraction, and similar life interests. These things are still important! (Okay, maybe not so much the dancing.) But those I feel close to now, it's because in addition to compatibility, I trust them to not judge me when I share my honest self with them.
The older I get, the more comfortable I feel saying, "You are totally free to not appreciate, like or love who I really am. No harm, no foul, but who I am is okay, and I'm not going to stop loving myself to make you love me instead."
The older I get, the more I appreciate a friend like I have in T., who I tell things no one else knows, because I know there is nothing I can say that will make him stop loving who I am. And his example inspires me to want to be that non-judgmental, trusting person for others.
I want my friends and loved ones to know there is nothing they can be or say that will make me stop valuing their unique gifts and personalities and lovable qualities. I hope my desire comes across in my interactions and relationships with them.
I hope even those I don't have long-term relationships or friendships with know that I value their individuality, and even if we weren't meant to be important to each other, I know they are important in their own right, and I value that.
Every person matters.
The older I get, the more comfortable I feel saying, "You are totally free to not appreciate, like or love who I really am. No harm, no foul, but who I am is okay, and I'm not going to stop loving myself to make you love me instead."
The older I get, the more I appreciate a friend like I have in T., who I tell things no one else knows, because I know there is nothing I can say that will make him stop loving who I am. And his example inspires me to want to be that non-judgmental, trusting person for others.
I want my friends and loved ones to know there is nothing they can be or say that will make me stop valuing their unique gifts and personalities and lovable qualities. I hope my desire comes across in my interactions and relationships with them.
I hope even those I don't have long-term relationships or friendships with know that I value their individuality, and even if we weren't meant to be important to each other, I know they are important in their own right, and I value that.
Every person matters.
Comments
I think you should write a book...and this right here could be the beginning of the best chapter!