So, Navya. I absolutely LOVE this . Hope is so important. Hope sustained me until I finally got the relationship thing right. And the pain and angst I felt as I healed through the previous break ups? Oh yeah. Your words ring so true.

Here’s a little story someone told me once. During an extended stay in Paris several years ago, a new woman friend I met, Issy, (part of this couple my then boy friend and I met while having an all afternoon, wine fueled lunch at this tiny cafe)…

Issy said to me at some point:

Never, before I met my Peter did I know what it was like to be in a relationship where there was no constant, oppressive, niggling, relationship stress.

Well. At that time, my boyfriend was kind of a mess up, so I simply nodded my head in understanding to Issy. Thinking that she was, well, lying…

Eventually I broke up with that boyfriend( it hurt like hell even though I knew he was a no go for me) But I never gave up the hope. Today I actually know what Issy was talking about! It is true, the state she described does exist.

( And the very occasional flare up involving cheese, pumpkin crackers and riding bikes to watch puffins means nothing in the whole scheme of things. Because they ARE infrequent. So keep the hope flowing no matter what, my friend. I am so glad that I did…)