When you think you don’t
have love in your life, just look around. There are people who love and care
about you. You have to be willing to let go of the façade of being strong, of
not needing anyone.
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Photo from Bigfoto |
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Last night, I’ve felt
vulnerable, that I wouldn’t find a man who would accept me as a friend and
lover. When I felt vulnerable in any way in the past, I would keep to myself.
Growing up, I was told that I wasn’t valuable, and that I was “bothering
people”. So, I always kept my real self hidden from others, including myself.
So many years of this bad habit is difficult to unravel, but I’m really
learning how to let people in.
Yesterday afternoon, I
visited my daughters a bit. One of them gave me extra hugs, as though she knew
I was feeling a bit out of sorts. I have reflected before how being a parent
really teaches you so much about love and life, and I'm truly one of the
luckiest moms in the world to have these three Graces in my life.
Last night, I worked on
the computer at the local meeting place, listening to others’ conversations,
and feeling some ambiguous regret for being impulsive with a new fellow on
Saturday night.
At 9pm, I went home. As
soon as I entered my apartment, I started crying. I was sad and angry. Angry at
the double standard that is generally present in Midwestern society: women who
sleep with guys too soon are automatically shunned, blown off and disregarded
by the guy. You automatically lose the chance to be someone who could be a
friend (or more).
As a woman and former
erotica writer, this offends me deeply. [This is something I have to change in
our society, for the sake of both men and women. It’s harmful for all of us,
because it separates us from our humanity and kindness.] Women have sexual
needs too (especially this woman who had been celibate for over 7 years after
the divorce and who is generally very particular about who I’m attracted to).
I was also disappointed,
because I really liked talking to this person. He is intelligent, witty, a
self-described feminist, and was thoughtful before (and during) our physical
connection on early Sunday morning. On deeper thought, I only accept being
treated like the goddess that I am, and reject being treated like a Kleenex by
anyone.
I started texting two
female friends who I had been talking to earlier that evening. I admitted
feeling rejected by him and vulnerable. Both of them said that I shouldn’t be
alone and they came over to talk to me about how I'm feeling. We talked about
men, women and dating, and here is a small sampling of was discussed:
Dating is tough. In
fact, in these times people don't really date anymore; there are no clear line
of communication between men and women. With cell phones, texting and email,
people are less interactive in deeper, vital way. We all struggle in feeling
alone, when we forget we are all a part of the greater fabric of this society.
There is a real gift in living in a small town; you can really forge a deeper
bond with people if you choose to.
One friend said:
"You don't need advice; you know what you want." And my other friend
reminded me of the following: Just keep being open to life, because opportunity
will arrive when you least expect it. Yes, there's always a chance of being
hurt, but that is what makes us stronger.
I had a few
introspective moments in this: I am truly fortunate to have such incredible,
kind, incredibly insightful and caring friends. Each of us is love, but we
stand in our own ways when we forget that. We are each magical, but we live in
a world that distracts us from our own magic.
There is no such thing
as regrets, because each moment is something we learn and grow from, as long as
we are open to receiving the message. As I just heard from the universe, we all
need to step into our own power, and own the ripples we put out into the world.