We don’t have to be perfect

We don’t have to be perfect

We just have to feel what we feel

For the whole of last year, I felt trapped. Trapped in a cycle of regret, hope, and despair. I had clung to an idea of how both the other person and I—and our relationship—should be, and what I absolutely “needed.” And clinging to this idea of “perfect” didn’t really allow me to see or feel things as they are in their entirety.

Then, a dear friend shared a song with me that let me take a deep breath and allowed the tears to flow in a different way: “You Don’t Need to Be Perfect” by Nash Blackwood. read more

Poverty in Relationships

Poverty in Relationships

Why love isn’t enough, and why a relationship and creating a bond aren’t the same thing.

In a previous post, I wrote about the different faces of poverty. I didn’t address poverty in relationships directly, but rather spoke generally about a lack of connection that keeps us trapped in loneliness.

I have many conversations with people who, even though they’re in relationships (whether romantic or otherwise), feel lonely or left alone. They don’t feel heard, seen, or understood. And personally, I know all too well the various emotions that arise when we build a relationship with another person, yet something is still missing. read more