Hit and miss

I know we often want it all happy and positive, but that’s just not where much of humanity is. 

Many of us are overwhelmed with pain, undigested sadness, unexpressed anger, unseen truths. This is where we are at, as a collective. So we have two choices. We can continue to pretend it’s not there, shame and shun it in ourselves and others, distract and detach whenever possible. Or we can face it heart-on, own it within ourselves, look for it in others with compassion, create a culture that is focused on authenticity and healthy emotional release. 

If we continue to push it all down, we are both creating illness and delaying our collective expansion. But if we can just own the shadow, express it, release it, love each other through it, we can finally graduate from the School of Heart Knocks and begin to enjoy this magnificent life as we were intended. Pretending the pain isn’t there just embeds it further. 

Let’s illuminate it instead Jeff Brown - Soulshaping

Grief is, I think, the crappiest emotion that we as humans have to go through. To lose something, even if it's only a projection of reality, creates pain. And pain is at the heart of loss. On my other blog last week I talked about sadness and pain in a broader sense and of course I don't want to lose myself in that pain but I also have to acknowledge my reality. And I will no longer mask that. I will not lie about it any more. 

Nearly three months have passed since my last relationship ended. (Sheesh that's ironic. I thought it was going to be my ''last'' relationship! but I digress)... And as my readers will know, this blog, whilst a summation of many of my deepest thoughts and wishes, is not the place I tend to detail my liaisons, short long or otherwise.

But today, as I sit in bed, with a laptop, a phone, a book and a cup of coffee - inanimate, not talking things that may not require my attention, but don't give me any either - I am feeling in a different place. I am so TIRED. I am tired of bouncing around telling everyone how awesome my life is. Or worse, them reminding me. (Ironically, it is, mostly). I am tired of being reminded of my own worth (yeah I know that - but who gives a toss when the person you wanted to value you most, doesn't). I'm tired of having to act like I don't care. Like I'm a cool single woman who actually got a lucky break, if only she was clever enough to realise it. I'm tired of having to pretend I'm ''over it''.  I'm feckin' tired of people telling me I should be! I'm tired of still feeling feelings that I thought would have faded. I have tired of feeling like I just been hit in the solar plexus and am still gasping for air. 

About a year ago, I had a conversation with someone I cared deeply about. We talked about being honest, about searing truth, about abandoning rules in favour of following hearts. ''F**k the rules, I don't care for rules right now' - that's what we said! I decided to live by it.  Back then I wanted to hear certain words above all others and so I chose to ignore (or at least, accept) some things that troubled me, trusting that to be honest, and to abandon rules, and ''follow my heart'' was ultimately going to work out for the best for me (and my relationships). I believed that those actions would lead to happiness for me. In fact, it didn't work out at that way at all and now someone else has abandoned the rules, followed their heart and as a result it is me who (actually, if I'm going to continue to honour those rules and be honest) is frickin' miserable. And here I am - doing it again now. I'm going to abandon rules, I'm going to be searingly honest whenever I can, and I'm going to tell the truth. Not because I don't have an otherwise good life, not because I don't value myself, not because of anything other than this:

I still miss that relationship.

Do I miss feeling that in the end I wasn't enough? Good grief no. Do I miss the days when I was anxious and wondering was it me doing wrong, but too afraid to address it in case I really was the problem? Ahhh no. Do I miss the things that drove me nuts (cos we all have them)? Erm, maybe, maybe not. Do I miss worrying that the future was fading and feeling helpless to change that? Nope. Do I miss the pain I went through at the end?  Hell no. No way. And yes I'm smart enough to know that the reality is that no good relationship should have those feelings.. 

But there it is. I miss it. . I miss shared history and a planned shared future (OK so it turns out it was only me planning it but still). I miss the easy conversation that we had from the first time we met. I miss the shared interests - the ones I had before and the new passions I discovered but are no longer mine to share. Dancing. God I miss dancing.  I miss the non stop fun and excitement, the boring mundane-ness. I miss sleep ins, wake ins, early nights and late ones. I miss being part of a two person team. I miss not being able to pick up the phone to share something funny, or important, or not important at all. I miss being and having an ally. I miss being and having a supporter. I miss having someone to go out with, and come home with. I miss making complicated food and pouring over-sized drinks. I miss sharing secrets and confidences. I miss planning things with someone else. I miss the feelings of trust that go with being in a relationship. I miss hearing compliments and reassurances. I miss hugs. I miss feeling important and valued by someone I felt the same about.  I miss it all. And at the heart of this I miss the person who I believed was my best friend. 

Im sad that I know stuff that I no longer have a right to be supportive about. I'm sad that it is no longer my role to be the ally, the confidante, the soft place.  I hate the fact that I still want it to be. I hate that I am having to, again, reshape what my future is going to look like. I just don't wanna!!!

Maybe I have unrealistic views of what relationship is. Obviously I do or I wouldn't even be writing this would I!? I want it all. I want to share my life with someone, and I want that shared life to be a source of happiness for others. I want to be looked at like I'm the only woman in the room. I want to be able to have good days and bad days...or weeks...or years!...and be able to allow someone else to do the same. I want it in sickness and in health, I don't care if its for richer or poorer. I'll gladly take the worse with the better. I want to be someones lover, best friend, ally, sparring partner, thought companion and challenger. I want to be first choice. Every time. Every. Time. I want it all. I hope one day I can find that.