All of You

Everyday we enter arenas where we are forced to leave a piece of us at the door. At work, we are requested to leave our personal lives and our beliefs.  At church, we are shunned if we bring our shortcomings and our weaknesses.  Even with some friendships, we find it easier to leave out certain aspects of who we are to avoid conflict and discord.  In this world, where the most adaptable do the best, it is a great challenge to find someone who allows you to bring all of you, all of the time.

In relationships, it is easy to change pieces of who you are without noticing. It can be anything from the way you speak all the way to religion in an effort maintain or build a relationship.  Some changes a new person brings are great and needed. Other times, you don’t realize the damage until you look up and no longer recognize yourself.  In the latter, the changes so gradual you don’t even know where to start to begin to find yourself again.

Then there are times where someone holds you to such a high and impossible standard, in an effort to maintain this pedestal you repress everything that come naturally.  In essence, you are no longer a human responding to stimuli but a programmed machine going through the mechanics of life void of true emotion.

It is then is a prized gift when you find one that allows you to bring all of your successes and failures, love and laughter, hurt and weaknesses, your God and your craziness into the private sanctuary of a relationship.  In this sanctuary, there is no judgment.  There is only light to see you for exactly who you are- the essence of your being.  The sole responsibility to ensure that essence is preserved, balanced, and grows in the betterment of its purpose.  The only requirement is that you promise to do the same.