Strength in love

Sitting there fighting tears, inside her all the emotions bubbling and fighting to burst out.

“Babe what’s wrong?” He asked.

“Nothing.” She replied. The word just automatically coming out of her mouth.

Taught for so long to suppress her emotions. Spoken feelings responded with anger and blame. She had learned that it wasn’t safe to say how she felt.

Inside she’s now frustrated as well as anxious and scared. Frustrated with herself for not speaking her truth.

The tears are at the surface now, so she steps away for a moment trying to push everything back down.

He knows it’s not nothing. But gives it a little time, then asks again. “What’s wrong?”

This time she takes a breath and finds some words. Maybe not everything, it’s still hard to put all her feelings into words. But some of it comes out.

Part of her still expects and a negative reaction, so she immediately apologizes for how she feels.

But he reassures her instead, validating her feelings and tells her to stop apologizing.

She feels safe with him, she knows he loves her. Though she worries that her need for reassurance may become too much. He’s proven time and again that her feelings are valid, even if sometimes are based on the parts of her someone else broke.

That’s what love is, recognizing one another’s flaws, strengths, weaknesses, interests, goals, and needs. With all of those things, choosing to grow together, support one another and to be a safe place to be yourself.