4 days

4 days to wait for that blast of fresh air...
4 days from now, my fingers running through her hair

No expectations and no reason to worry...
Breakfast plans being made, we won't hurry

Gentle and free, two souls with a quest...
Combining love and devotion, in desire and rest

In our busy lives setting time for us aside...
For it is part of the journey, the one we now ride

There is nothing to fear, only honest connections...
Where 4 days from now, we will carry out our intentions

.....that special place

One month ago the sky was brighter, the moon was fuller, and the air was clearer than it had been in a very long time...one month ago smiles were shared, eyes met and talks began - the stage was set

This time has been both still and quick, days last long and yet are over in the blink of an eye. You know what I am thinking, you know what to ask, and you know how to capture my full attention. my mornings are welcomed with joy and love and my evenings end with peace and contentment

soon....we will be side by side, no outside interruptions...only two souls with two hearts entering one connection....all in our special place.

14 Ways To Rethink The Love In Your Life

14 Ways To Rethink The Love In Your Life

1. Your feelings are not an all-or-nothing-deal.

You can love someone just a little. You can love a lot of people just a little. There’s no switch that goes on for every single person you meet that will tell you whether or not you will love them for all of eternity. Sometimes it’s a mystery to uncover, and that is a process that should be enjoyed. You will not always be certain that someone is either your soul-mate or just a friend, because not everybody falls into either of those categories; there is a spectrum when it comes to love, and there will be many people in your life who fall along all different ends of it. Love is not an all-or-nothing deal.

2. The heart and mind should work in tandem.

Love is not logical, but at the same time, you can’t just let your feelings run rampant and allow you to make irresponsible, harmful or dangerous decisions, like staying with an abusive partner. It is a tricky equilibrium, but it’s important to learn how to listen to your heart first while still considering what your head has to say about it.

3. It will probably never be defined, so don’t try to identify it by making a list and checking off if someone makes you feel a certain way.

Love is to be experienced. You do not love someone just because they fit into a set of pre-established criteria that you thought would be necessary to have feelings for someone. As aforementioned, you have to let your heart navigate and your head copilot for a little logic and reasoning now and again. 

4. Fulfilling love is not just romantic.

Love is also the essence of who we are. You are not unloved because you don’t have a romantic or sexual partner, this is another way that love can be experienced.

5. Sex and love are different, but are great when they coincide.

Just because someone wants a sexual relationship with you, or vice versa, it does not necessarily provide much indication of where they are at emotionally. You can have fulfilling sexual relations with people you don’t love, and likewise, you can be very much in love with someone without being sexually compatible.

6. Likewise, marriage and love are different, but are also great when they coincide.

People expect that if they marry someone it will confirm that they are in love and will be forever because they are legally bound to be. Marriage is not a grand and glamorous exclamation of love everyday of your life. It’s paying bills and taking trips to Costco and cleaning up after each other when you’re sick and unable. Some people consider that love, and others consider it obligation. Realize that “happily ever after” is not necessarily marriage, and you have to consider the realities of life post-nuptials.

7. It is something you do, not just something you feel.

It’s a verb. You can have feelings that you define as love, but you do not “love someone” until you act on that, and put them before yourself: their happiness, well-being etc. You should apply this to the people who claim they love you but don’t act like it. Words mean next to nothing unless they are backed with action.

8. It is easily and often confused for lust.

It’s hard to differentiate between feelings, since they’re usually all bundled up and packaged into one little body that can’t make sense of things. But love and lust are different in one key respect: love puts the other first, lust puts the self first.

9. There is no end-all-be-all when it comes to choosing a partner.

You can have a fulfilling life with many different people. There are, however, some people who will do more for you than others, this is just the reality of being alive. It doesn't mean, however, that you've lost out on love for the rest of your life because it didn't work out with one person, nor does it mean that you’ll never love someone that way again.

10. It grows with time, it is not stagnant.

It’s sometimes easy to think that facing challenges means that your love is depleting, but really, if you want to work through those issues with someone, and you come out on the other side stronger both individually and as a couple, you've got something good going on.

11. It will change you, if it hasn't already.

Love is not something you blindly experience and then come out of the same. It is transformative. If you’re having trouble identifying whether something is love or not, something to consider is the effect it has had on you. I’m not saying that love is selfish and solely about what it does for you, but rather when you love someone with all that you've got, and you let it reverberate through you and impact you completely, you will come out a different person… or more aware of who you really are.

12. It is not always certain and definite. You are allowed to be unsure.

I think sometimes people get more upset about not knowing than the fact that they don’t know. Embrace the uncertainty and see it as part of the journey… try to understand why you are uncertain, and what matters so much to you that you are considering how other options could pan out better. More than anything, though, realize that there is no “right” and “wrong” necessarily, the universe will autocorrect, just be ready for the plunge.

13. It is very rarely smooth and flawless.

It is more often all messed up because real love impacts you at every level and brings forth everything you need to deal with. The real fairy tales are what happens when you find someone who changes you and you’re able to live happily ever after with yourself.

14. It cannot, should not, and never will be what gives you your sense of self.

If that’s what your love does for you, and that’s what keeps you in it, it’s time to leave until you can fill yourself with love first.

Serendipity

I knew the escape was necessary

being pulled to go as if I had no say or choice in the matter

no stress, no fuss, just get on the plane and go

Let my hair down, impress no one, be me and be free

play and laugh, meet new friends 

drink up even if getting drunk beyond reason were to happen

Driving into the park, feeling a powerful energy that was unlike anything I'd felt in a long while

the trees, the sky, the smiles on faces of strangers and familiar friends

a sense that this would be certainly a time to remember

I had no idea the magnitude .........

simplicity

I crave to be in the presence of my love, being 'me' and her being 'her' and both finding bliss
For there is no 'wrong' when you are doing what pleases you

A walk in the woods, a path by the river, a blanket set out and wine slowly sipped

Star gazing on a clear night, a drive through the country, exchanging conversation - open and honestly

Scrambled egg breakfast on the bed in the morning watching classic movies and cuddles till noon

Cooking dinner of vegetables, meats and herbs, laughing as the pot is stirred, setting candles on the table by the fire - dinner served in one bowl sharing the cooked delights

Simplicity

Brown Eyes

Oh those eyes that penetrate deep
those brown eyed beauties capturing my heart to keep -
Spilling out and showing her true beauty
her compassion, her romance, her adorable bootie

Her smile that radiates for all the world to see
this stunning women who stands before me -
The happy that reaches deep down to my bones
is a feeling that's brilliant in rainbow tones

Her skin soft as cotton, so smooth to the touch
I'm tempted and moved to want to remain in her clutch
The sun shining, sends a message to me -
for its magic that happens when we are together....you'll see!

The Heart of it All

My heart skips to a new beat -
having her always on my mind
I feel so blessed she was present -
her warmth, her whisper, her kind

Early in days and hours -
not at all a very long time
With hours of conversations spoken -
soon she'll hold her hand in mine

Life has a way of unfolding -
the secrets of what is to come
where once set on not knowing
now brightness has settled and overcome

I'm sure that nothing is promised -
for compliments are thrown around
but what there is no doubt of
is this lady is singing a new sound

so close....I can feel the senses come alive
the air seems lighter and the sky is bluer
the wind is crisper and the stars are brighter
aching, pleading, gasping....a whisper

the room is alive and the arousal is high
thoughts of instant memories come to life
the day is beginning and falls quietly into night
minutes turning to hours and cascading onto days

lay down and remove your shoes...let the shirt fall
sing to me the song that only i can hear
take me to a place that only i can see
so close.....i can taste the the energy

What do you want WenDee, what do you really want?

I desire to have a special woman in my life who is strong. Someone who I do not settle on, but someone who has the characteristics that are sincere and honest and open.

She will be someone who can walk into my family and be loving and warm. Her smile and friendliness will capture their hearts and she'll learn to understand the dynamics of what my family is all about. They will welcome her as they see how good she treats me and how loving we are. They will know when they see our eyes and how we interact and they will be pleased that I have found true love.

My love will be an active woman who inspires me to push forward - one who plays and laughs and loves deeply. She will venture out into the world and hold her hand out to me, bringing me with her as we discover new places. She will also allow me to take her arm and bring her to that peace and calm that settles her soul and feel the emotional and spiritual connection that only two who come together in love and respect can feel.

My love will have a past and bring her own baggage and her pain and her broken heart. She will know that I as well carry this same lot. Together we will heal and learn and put all things in the places they need to be in; no longer in the front room but in the basement or the attic. Yes, they shall still remain, but they will not be a stumbling block to move forward. I hope that whoever she is, would not walk away because of anything in my past but rather embrace the wendee of today and want to be a part of the wendee of tomorrow.

I want to live simply and be allowed to love deeply. I want my partner to have the freedom to enjoy their own passions and that I be respected to have the same. I hope that whoever she is, she would not walk away because of anything I have had to experience and may still be lingering around my being.

Since I was a child my heart has been played and beaten. It has been stepped on and broken. I've lost pieces where empty holes remain. But, when alone my heart can never truly heal. I have to trust that there is a way for bandages to be placed by someone special, someone whose love and care would soothe the wounds and the pain and the heart would be held with tenderness. No longer will the sting and the pain that was once felt, remain.

We all have a path in this journey to take. I've been alone long enough. My love, my sweetness, find me lingering along this path - take my hand and please walk beside me as we experience a new life together.

MoM

Spending so much time with mom these last 11 months I've seen her wither away. To outsiders they would say how strong she is. After all at age 83 she has no obvious health issues other than her arthritis. But, I see more. I am privy to the mental health of my mother. 

Her father had what was called back then-dementia. What I remember from this seemingly happy man was a frail fellow who smiled a lot, who played cards with me every time we went to visit, but who also sat in his wheelchair complaining. He also was a story teller. Oh, his little jokes and white lies were harmless, or were they? I think there was a lot more to him then what met the eye, and I believe that is the case with my mom. 

Mom seems to have stories that change from time to time, from person to person, from her mood to mood. I grew up with this. Mom could excuse away anything and believe it whole heartedly. Her memories change and become less or more to the original reality of the event. This has been a part of my life since I could remember, starting at age 5. 

Today I had to tell my mom that she is not the same, that she is forgetting things and making things up. I said I'm sorry momma I know you don't want to hear this, but you don't realize that your brain is playing tricks on you and you have to trust me (with your medications, money, etc). The look on her face made me cry. She appeared to show a sense of sad with a sense of not believing it. She just looked at me. At that moment I knew for sure, all things worked out for the best in my life. I was meant to be here. I was meant to care for my mother in her aging years until the end. I was meant to meet someone who understood this commitment and I was meant to be in this god forsaken desert...at least for now. 

I do not know the number of years we have with mom being "all there" but I am going to try my hardest to love her every day as best as I can. God help me!

Myself and I

I love myself the way I am
Because I know I have my flaws
But then again so does everyone else
It's the choice of what you do with your imperfections
That sets you apart from your pessimistic peers
I love myself the way I am
Because no one else can be just like me
I will always have one unique thing about me
That sets me apart from the rest of the world
I think what I want, I do what I want.
I love myself the way I am
Because I surround myself with the people I love
I have friends and family to guide me
To be by my side when I need them the most
I love myself the way I am 

Reminder

Always be yourself, no matter how weird you are. Anyone who's worth knowing, will love you for being you. 
If you doubt yourself, others will doubt you as well. Stand proud, confident and in your truth.

HBDH

One year ago today I remember how sad I was.
Today I remember everything.

understanding and clarity

i only was trying to protect me

it seemed like the right thing to do so the pain would be less

the reality that i must let go of any false sense of entitlement 

all done to protect me, no other agenda

i still flounder and haven't found a firm stick to hold onto

the days fall into one long one and sometimes i even forget that its a new week

but i wish for utter happiness for DC, for contentment and peace

that life would only bring smiles and flowers and dances in the moonlight

It's been one year Karla, I miss you.

One year ago tonight was the last time I heard your voice. Was the last time I said I love you and heard you say “I love you too my sister”. I made the phone call very excited as I had gotten my new kindle fire in the mail, something you begged me to get! You loved yours and even offered to buy me one. On this last phone call we made plans to go over our new tablets so you could show me all the favorite things you had found. I was due to fly to Burbank that Saturday. Your voice sounded obviously like you were so tired. You even said I’m just so sleepy. I told you go to sleep and I’ll see you in 3 days. I got the call when I was driving home the next afternoon. My life, again, crumbled in that drivers’ seat begging Paula to tell me no, it’s not true. At home I crumbled into a ball, realizing that one of the most important persons in my life is gone. It’s been a year.

You were 14 months older than me, but we were reared as if we were twins. Even to our sister Paula and our brother Brad, we were referred to as the girls….Poor Paula! We’d play for hours hide and go seek using the large mural on our living room wall. We napped together, shared a bed up until I was 13/you 14 when Paula got married and moved out. That is when you got “the front room” which was the honored room belonging to the oldest, the next in line. However, in this room we shared many nights playing crazy 8 and gin rummy on the floor. 

We’d smoke our cigarettes and light our candles nestled in old wine bottles, listening to all of your music: Carole King, Bread, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and other fabulous singers of the day. I never could remember a lyric, no matter how often I heard the song. You only needed to listen to it from beginning to end twice before singing the entire song by memory. I played the guitar – puff the magic dragon, if I had a hammer, moon shadow and other simple songs. Your singing in harmony was like a sweet bird, singing in wonder and grace. I loved watching you sing and loved playing the songs that made you happy. We stayed in that room for our security, and sadly our safety. We’d escape from the one who hurt us; this locked room was our escape. I remember the day we fought back, and he didn’t hurt us again after that. We scared the crap outta him and you and I locked eyes, and we laughed and we KNEW we had won that war!
I think we just always knew we had each-others back, that no matter what we had a connection like none other.

 

You had long flowing blond locks, I had shorter wavy brown hair.
My doll was Raggedy Andy, you of course had Ann. 

Mom dressed you in pink and red, I was adorned with blue and green.
When we played ‘office’ you were the pretty secretary, I was the mean boss (LOL!)
When we played with Barbie’s you insisted on having the only Barbie doll and her sister skipper, while I happily took the Mary Poppins doll and cleaned the house.
Once summer came, we were in the pool from May to September. Mom even served us food by the poolside so we didn’t have to get out and come inside! Our bodies tan, mine pretty much rolly polly, but not you. We played mermaids, but you always wanted mermen to come visit. I never understood that, ha-ha! Speaking of tanning and the pool – you and Paula as you got older would coat your skin with tanning oil and lay out by the pool sunbathing. I thought how stupid and boring! I didn’t “get” that you were trying to get that California golden tan to entice the boys. No…I didn’t really ever get that part. No wonder, I turned out a Lesbian : )  

We were inseparable, until the year I remained in elementary school and you went on to middle school. Oh, that was a tough year because I was 11 and was the little annoying baby sister according to your new buddies. I missed my best friend. You were growing up, while I was still a child (me, the late bloomer for sure!) You had boyfriends, smoked cigarettes, and started wearing makeup. I was playing with my new Malibu Barbie, watching game shows on TV and riding my bike with the attached basket to school. We were different, and yet you were still my best friend.

When you got your first job at 7 kitchens at the mall I was so proud of you! I would take the bus to visit you and sit at the tables and want to take your breaks with you. In fact, I was around so much that the following year when I was old enough they hired me! Did I ever tell you how incredibly happy I was that year? How being Karla’s little sister was a HUGE wonderful thing for me because everyone there loved you so much? It was like I was related to the star! That is, until they fired me because after too many warnings where I had been telling the customers how to buy things cheaper, I was let go. I didn’t take it personally; in fact I kept visiting you – until you’d tell me to leave!

During that year some serious things happened…medical issues that I was sworn to secrecy to keep just between you and me. Boyfriend issues that you would confide in me, only me, and I would listen and cry with you over. Our father who had left and never came around to be with us. We knew we didn’t do anything wrong and yet; we shared the common feeling of  abandonment that was natural to feel at that time. Both of us mourning and remembering the life of our brother who had died a few years earlier and who we missed so badly. We knew if Brad was here, Mom would be happy and Dad might not have left and maybe we could have been a “normal” Family. Maybe…just maybe…but we had each other. You ALWAYS had me to come to and even though you felt you had to distance yourself from me, I knew you would there and would care when I needed your help, no matter what was going on in your life.

I finally caught on to the dating thing and we would double date, all the time. Remember those two boys who lived in Beverly Hills? I do not remember the older boys name – the one who drove – but the brother who sat in the back seat with me was named Ricky Nelson! Yes, I was “dating” Ricky Nelson at age 14 and I had NO CLUE what that meant. Then you dated Scott. Scott’s friend Roger (what a sweet guy he was!) Scott’s friend Dave (he was a wise guy) Scott’s friend Jim (how handsome he was!). Yeah….Scott loved you so…but his friends…I wasn’t all that in to J I’m so glad you and Gary married, he was so cool and was a wonderful brother in law. 

Standing up as your maid of honor at your wedding was one of my proudest moments up to that time. You choose me – out of all your friends – ME to be there for you! I’ll never ever forget seeing how beautiful you were that day. Like a genuine angel. 

Your first baby came and was adored as if he were a little prince. Then, surprisingly you were expecting your 2^nd at the very same time I was expecting my first! Oh, what joy we’d have as we compared our growing bellies with our little miracles inside. We again were sharing something so special, just as we always had. However…..there was a change coming on that was very perplexing. I didn’t understand for many years the true magnitude of your being Bi-Polar. I thought you were just a very sensitive person, who had shifts of moods that would come on like a monsoon. You would cry and cry and be so sad, and then you’d be incredibly mad over anything, only to follow those extreme highs of laughter and singing and wanting to create. 

My gawd, how you could create! Your talent was never EVER appreciated as it should have been. Your voice was as good as any solid gold winner, your artwork was fun and flowing and lifelike. You wrote some of the most beautiful poems and stories – sadly they were destroyed after you passed away for some reason L You cooked masterpieces, and baked such delights; you’d decorate the house with your amazing style and make homemade gifts that were Macy store quality! You could photograph anything and make it look alive in a still shot. Karla, I wish you knew how talented you were. I do not think you ever appreciated your skills. I sure wish I had told you more often, you deserved to feel more special than I’m afraid you ever felt.

Your illness caused a great distance between us, mostly because neither one of us understood what was going on. There was no internet to search, no Google or Yahoo to look up your symptoms. Ask.com wasn’t around and webmd wasn’t even a thought. We just tried to not have things be frustrating for you and there were a lot of sorrys’ said between all of the family. All in all we made it work. We learned how to cope during those ‘down’ times and we embraced the ‘up’ times! I am sure those last few years were your hardest, since your sweet son died at age 19 in that flood. I’m so incredibly sorry I wasn’t here more for you. I missed you K. I wanted to be here more often. I tried…I tried to fly down for most all the family gatherings. Karla, please know that I KNEW you were totally there for me when things happened in Oregon. Then coming down at Christmas and getting the flu, again you reached out and I felt and knew your love. Even though I had a temperature and could have exposed everyone to my illness, you insisted that I be there (and yes, a lot of the family did get sick after I left!) But you made everyone see that being together as a family was more important.

  

Thank you. Thank you for being a wonderful sister. Thank you for giving me a best friend. Thank you for showing me how to be more compassionate to those in need from a mental condition. Thank you for loving me no matter what – even through our differences.

I know that when I get to where you are, you will be smiling and welcoming me to the garden of heaven. With you, Alex, our brother Brad and Grandpa with that silly grin, waiting and laughing and full of Peace. Until then, I will look up to the sky looking for those puffy clouds that look like smiles, the pretty yellow butterflies that visit and feel you near me.

My dear sister, Karla Jean Levin, You are Loved, You are Missed.

Love Wendy, your little sister

Words

Words can be haunting. Words can be uplifting. Words can be misunderstood. Words can be used to to hurt someone. Words can be funny. Words can be the last thing heard before someone dies - whether they are ill, accidentally die or choose to take their life.
I've never understood how people can use words to be hurtful. Why? Why must the standard be lowered to that point? There are many who are not affected at the level that I am. I've been told I'm hypersensitive, that I'm passionate, and that I'm incredibly perceptive to the truth and others actions which is sometimes a curse. All I know is I hope and pray that my words only uplift and encourage. I will pray daily to ask that I not using biting or sorrowful words. For the last 30 hours I've been obsessing over something that was said to me. It cut and hurt deeply. At night the pain of how that felt almost overcame me. However, this morning I awoke with the sense that there must have been a reason this hurt so deep and that is what I have to face. So, I embark on new discovery of character evaluation and the bigger picture. The reasons behind the afflicting words. The course that is before me to tackle and release that bitter and sour taste left in my mouth.
I am enough.
I am strong.
I am a child of God.
I am a wonderful person.
I will not return insults.
I am Me.

MoM's

Some mothers are only mothers to those not related to them, but give love to those who need a motherly hug.
Some mothers had a miscarriage or choose to have an abortion and now grieve this loss every year. They need extra love from all other mothers.
Some mothers choose to be a mother to the children that were here when the relationship started. Sad that when the relationship ends, this bond ends most of the time and the kids' previous love fades away.
Some mothers have children or a child that is distant. To this mother I say: Embrace the good you had with them while you did and continue to pray for their safety and for them to return. In the meantime, give your motherly love to those who are without a mother.
Some females decide to not become a mother by choice and that is OK! They had a mother and can love them or fondly remember them if they passed. I honor those who choose to not have a child just because society told them they should. For these women, smile at other children and give them a thumbs up! Encouragement comes from all people to all people :)
Some ladies lose their child or their children to death; to these women I would wish that all would surround them with love and understanding.
Some women are not able to bear a child and this might have been their deepest wish. It is my hope all of her friends would embrace her extra special.
Some.....don't deserve to be a mother. For those, we can look at our children with gratitude and remind themselves that it is a special job and one NOT to be taken lightly.
Some ladies bring children into their life through adoption and to them I say *here here* and right on and Thank You <3 p="">
So today, I am reflecting on my mother and myself as a mother. I know that having my sons was the BEST THING that ever happened to me and I will live my life until my last breath thanking God for rescuing me and gifting me with such precious cargo. Now as they are grown, I see the fruits of those years filled with fun, frustration, silly, broke, vacationing, disciplining, playing, and teaching years. Forever and ever plus one more day shall I never give back to you as much as you have given to me.

I love you Jason and Evan!

Listen.....can you hear it?

Shhhh...hush now...someone is talking to you
She is calling your name, can you hear her?
The young self, the one who wants to protect the current self
she has seen the torture you have put yourself through.
No one can rewrite history.
If you had known then, what you know now....
is but merely a saying that makes no sense.
For you will never know then what you have learned and gotten to know, now......

I'm sick of those who have hurt me and how the power of that pain is still haunting me --

they bullied me because i was an easy target and they were cunning
she pushed me away because she needed to find herself away from my shadow
he left and didn't turn back because he choose to be free of the burden
he left because he didn't know he would never come back
he molested me because he had the opportunity
he raped me because he knew i would never tell
she didn't protect me because she was a child still herself, left in a foreign territory

And as the years went by I thought I was safe. That I had run into the arms of safety, only to realize those arms were simply to protect, not provide all that was needed for thriving.

So I allowed my heart to be taken, only to later learn that it was the same - only the opposite - as what I had done those many years before. Oh the pain of rejection is as fresh today as it was before...only the words continue to haunt and rule my mind.

That is when the power of meditation and the reliance of my higher power...my God...who will warm me when cold and hold me when the tears are running as rivers down my face.

AM I WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER?

During a seminar, a woman asked," How do I know if I am with the right person?"

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, "It depends. Is that your partner?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind replied the author.

Here's the answer.

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls, want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet."Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It's a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, "Am I with the right person?" And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found.

People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes.

Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):

The key to succeeding in a Relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), Just as there are physical laws Of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a "decision". Not just a feeling.

Remember this always: God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let GO..

S F M S N G C T P n H P D F S