The sweetest lady I know has always said, "There are girls you date and then there are women you marry." A simple statement with such power, from my sweet momma. You know there are women in this world and there are still girls. However, the authentic ones are rare, delicate flowers, often overlooked as they are still wilting on the inside. They walk through life with grace, never wearing their heart on their sleeve.

Gently and in a delicate manner, she held her head up and reached for him whenever he needed her. She knew he needed gentleness and love, no matter what had happened between them. She stood right on the edge, close enough to keep her distance.

She wrapped herself in his arms and fell in, time after time. Clinging to the bit of hope that his present self would become better. She dug deep and looked for the roots to his soul, but he would never let her in. She stood on the outside of his heart, knocking and pleading to be let in. Knowing she never would.

She loved him in a pure manner. Her motherly instinct always cleaned up his messes, soaked up the annoying parts of life and absorbed the pain and grief he left her with. As time carried on, she remained close enough to help, yet far enough to walk away. Her mind knew she was in his presence for a reason, but she was gaining nothing.

Her mind knew something was not right, but she continued to love him anyway because she knew he needed it. No matter how much hurt or pain he had put her through, she continued to give him something he never had. While in the meantime, he was going behind her back, with other girls, "the kind you date" and ruining everything with her, "the kind you marry."

Isn't it funny how that works now, people give all of themselves to something, to get nothing in return. At least that is what she felt: worthless, used, empty and broken. She was one of the authentic girls, one of the few left because this destructive world we live in seems to have lost morals and basic standards.

She learned to love harder because of him. Through the endless nights of screaming and the verbal abuse, she learned her self-worth. This woman learned more when she found herself at the bottom, dusting off and standing back up the morning she looked at him and said, "I'm done." She gained strength she never knew she had. This woman overcame obstacles that seemed impossible. She lost her "life" and found herself all at the same time. Her mind, body, and soul may still be recovering; but she knows exactly what she needs in a husband. She needed him, to find herself, become a stronger woman, and learn what she does and does not deserve in life.

He needed her to know what an authentic woman is and he took advantage of it. The authentic girls are the ones that stay, even when they should walk away. However, once they go, they never come back. She knew she wanted to still be the type of woman you marry and he needed the kind of girl you date. She gained the strength to walk away and when she did, she ran.