Bringing Out The Brave

This past weekend, Tom and I took a weekend trip to Traverse City. Although I wish the trip could have been a little longer, we had a marvelous time. We spent some time outside taking in the gorgeous weather and views, we shopped, we ate delicious food and drank good beer, and we explored. It's been a long time since I have felt that care free. I turned the e-mail off on my phone and just enjoyed my time with him.

As I was getting ready for bed on Sunday night, smiling from ear to ear, wishing I was back in Traverse City with Tom, I started to think about what exactly made that trip so special.

And the conclusion I came to was that it wasn't just that TRIP that was special. It's Tom that is special.

Part of the reason I was so elated when we returned form our trip was that I was so proud of myself for doing a few things that normally scare me. Now, you need to understand that because of my lifelong battle with anxiety, there are a LOT of things that scare me. I always jump to the worst possible scenario of every situation and convince myself that the worst is going to happen. When I get in that state its' really hard to get me out of it. But Tom does such a fantastic job of keeping me calm. He does it in a gentle way- he does not totally dismiss my fears, but he helps me to see around them.

Thinking about it, that's all I've ever wanted in a relationship- someone who can understand my fears, and help me to overcome them. That's not to say that I need a man, or anyone, to depend on to get me past these obstacles, but rather, I've needed a companion who can bring out the brave in me. And that is what Tom has done. He makes life so much fun for me that I don't want to miss out on any opportunity. He's also very patient and practical with me, and takes the time to tell me why what I am worrying about is not going to happen. Example, we were walking around the fair on Friday night and Tom wanted to go in the Funhouse. I am terrified of mazes because I feel like I am going to get trapped for ever. I know, for most people this seems silly, but that is my fear. Tom showed me the clear entrance and exit of the maze, and led the way so that I could clearly follow him. Another example- I hate crowds. Being in a large crowd makes me feel stuck and I need to have an escape route just in case. As we were leaving the Fireworks on Saturday night with thousands of other people all heading the same direction, Tom knew that I would struggle walking back. So he found a clear path and led me down that. It allowed us to be away from the crowd for most of our walk.

It's just what he dos- he looks out for me. And I guess by Sunday evening I was feeling so grateful to have found Tom and to have him in my life that I was giddy. I started to look up other places we could go on vacation, just to have more adventures.

I know that this post may embarrass Tom, or may seem a bit cheesy to put out into the universe, but it was something that I just needed to share. Growing up we're always told to choose someone who is honest, makes us laugh, treats us right, etc. In Tom, I've found all of those things, plus someone who makes me feel so good about myself that I can do things I never thought possible.

For my friends that are single and are still looking for their perfect match, make sure that person makes you feel like you have wings. You deserve to soar, and your partner should be right there along with you.