Hard work

A little bit of rambling here, going nowhere in particular. Just thinking about things, and hearing stuff from friends -- and if you think I'm talking about you, you may be right, but only partly. Only I've heard variations on the same tale a couple of times in recent days, weeks, months, ages, and I want to say something.

Love is hard. I get that. Or no, maybe love is easy. Falling in it, being swept away by it -- these all sound like things that happen in a rush, with a certain kind of momentum. But relationships -- relationships are hard. And you can't see that usually from the outside, and some of us, those ones who are maybe looking at you with a sense of awe that you've been able to find someone who fits in your life, we don't see that.

Until you tell us. Until you let us in. And that's hard -- talking about it, sharing what is after all the very personal details of your life with an outsider. And I don't want you to think -- any of you -- that I'm not grateful to be allowed that open access to your life, to know that you trust in our relationship, in our friendship, to invite me in. And despite hearing from a couple of people about problems in long term relationships...

I just want you to know that I still want that. What you have. Yes, you, specifically. Because the hard work, the thinking things through that requires two people -- that's still more than what I have alone. And I'm not lonely -- this isn't a pity party. This is just me recognizing, and hopefully being a bit of my optimistic self, and saying that two people working together on a relationship -- that, in itself, is a relationship. Does that make sense?

Those of you that may think I'm talking about you -- I want you to know that no matter what, I still look at you with that sense of awe, and a little envy. No, maybe a lot of envy.

Love is easy. Life is hard.