January 31

Ideally, both members of a couple in love free each other to new and different worlds.
--Anne Morrow Lindbergh

We cannot possess another's spirit, even though we may desire to do so while struggling to feel love. We must not block one another's invitations for adventure even though we fear being left behind. We won't find the happiness we long for if we've tied another to ourselves by strings of shame, guilt, or pity.

Being free to love, or not, is the only path to real love. A trapped butterfly soon loses its splendor - and life; likewise, a trapped lover quietly awaits the relationship's death.

Traveling separate, yet parallel, paths keeps a relationship vital. Bringing fresh ideas, favored hopes, and fruitful experiences to each other's attention is the enhancement a relationship must have to stay strong.

Let's not corner our partners but instead trust that real love is the promised gift of being free.

You are reading from the book:

Worthy of Love by Karen Casey