I may not be a religious person, but I without a doubt believe in fate. I believe that everything happens for a reason, maybe not by some miraculous design, but that each of us are here for a reason and we experience certain things that set us on the path that the universe has laid out for us.

You meet people, connect with people, and fall in love with people. The cycle continues over and over again. Even though each person you meet is in your path for a reason, there are always people that are thrown in that stick out. These people are your family, closest friends, and yes, even soul mates.

Now, I’m not going to get all gushy and talk about romance, because let’s be straight, romance and love ends in heartbreak more than happily-ever-after’s. People find heartbreak before they find the one who can put the pieces back together, except for the few that luck out on their first try. Even though sometimes we know who we’re supposed to be with, but the timing just isn’t right. Love is a wild, wild thing.

Here are some important definitions about taking a chance at love:

• Vulnerability- It’s the scariest thing in the world. Especially after you’ve gone through an absolutely horrible heartbreak and you know that you never, ever want to feel that way again. So, you avoid commitment and find something wrong with everyone you talk to. Yeah, sounds about right. But, sometimes not being vulnerable will make you miss your chance on being with the one you’re supposed to be with. It’s okay to take a chance with someone you know won’t take your heart, stomp on it, put a band aid on it, and expect that everything is ‘good’ between y’all after.
• Honesty- If you’re going to attempt to bring someone into your life you need to be honest with them. Honest about your intentions, your feelings, and anything else that should be shared amongst two people who are in any form of relationship together. Without honesty, you don’t have trust…and believe me that’s something that should not be broken.

What’s crazy about all of this is that sometimes you become vulnerable and you can trust someone and they still hurt you in some way. But, the good thing is that you’ll learn that…maybe that person wasn’t the one for you…or maybe that you actually really care about someone else and didn’t realize those feelings until after you took your chance on the wrong one.

Life’s funny…it really, really is. But, I just tell myself that I’m here trying to make it through each day, and I hope that one day, my person and I will be willing to both be vulnerable and honest with one another and actually take that chance.

It’s been a long time, but I’m a patient person.