Loving Me More Through Connection

I don’t need every connection to last in order for it to be meaningful.

There was something uncannily familiar about the way we connected, like meeting a version of myself, slightly more grounded, maybe a little wiser. Our conversation didn’t just flow; it unfolded with an ease that made time irrelevant. I didn’t even realize how far we’d hiked until the heat nudged my body to slow down.

Somewhere in those hours, a quiet shift happened. It wasn’t dramatic or sudden. It was internal, a reminder of how much I love being me, and how much more I want to grow into that.

This person wasn’t the most conventionally attractive I’ve met. But their mind, humility, and layered past made their presence magnetic. An economist, a father, a political asylum seeker, his story carried both weight and wisdom. And in the unfolding of it, I was reminded not just of his resilience, but of my own, and of the depth and possibility that exist beneath the surface.

What pulled me in wasn’t circumstance, it was connection. It was how we listened, how we exchanged stories without pretense, and how little the usual labels mattered in that moment. We’re quick to categorize people: divorced, refugee, parent, this or that. But when you're sitting across from someone who’s showing up with truth and presence, labels fall away. What remains is the human experience, and whether you’re willing to meet it.

What stayed with me wasn’t what he’d been through, but how he carried it. His effort. His attentiveness. The way he made space for real dialogue. It reminded me that connection doesn’t always look the way we expect, but when it’s there, you feel it.

And still—yes—it flickered out as suddenly and quietly as it sparked.

I don’t have the answer to why. I probably never will. I wouldn’t have walked away like that, but I’m learning not to project my values onto someone else’s choices. I can’t explain another person’s silence, but I can choose how I respond to it.

And while I wouldn’t have chosen silence as a way to communicate, I’ve also learned to let people move in the ways they need to. Not everyone processes or responds the same, and that’s okay. It’s nothing personal, and it’s not something I need to overanalyze.

The most unexpected part? I’m not bitter.

I’m clear.

Clear on what I want: depth, thoughtfulness, presence, and emotional intelligence.

Clear on what I need: someone who chooses connection over convenience. Someone who matches the energy I bring.

And maybe most of all, clear that I don’t need every connection to last in order for it to be meaningful.

And that clarity? That’s the energy I’m bringing forward. That’s the engine I’ll keep running, for as long as I’m breathing.

Loving Me More Through Connection!