I quickly and clearly expressed my change of plans and released them back into the stream of possibilities. Get clear on your dating goals. And if you need someone to talk to about all of this crazy mess, I'm here.
The goal is never to blame the other person for the breakup, even if they were the reason you are breaking up. Always take your responsibility for the miss. And make it about the chemistry, the mix, the overall relationship and not about them or their poor behavior. Remember, you are leaving the relationship, not trying to teach them a lesson or educate them.
I learn something new and vital each time I'm in a long-term relationship.
There are plenty of single parents who use their kids to get out of almost every obligation. Even obligations to themselves, for say... exercise, dating, taking responsibility for their own actions. And I have been the dad who apologized for checking his phone when a text dinged while on a date.
How could I construct a partnership, from the second date onward, with intention, transparency, and hope?
Know what you want. Know what you offer. Don't oversell. And for fks sake: DO NOT SETTLE.
I can have many women friends and not seek "relationships" with any of them.
The rest is negotiation, navigation, and nurture. We've both got work ahead of us. We are always in a state of becoming. But today, I have my lifetime cheerleader beside me. And I'm always ready joyfully embrace her in all of her flaws and misdirections. We've all got them.