I allow new expressions of love in my life without hard feelings because my relationships are fluid and constantly evolving.

I know that personal growth involves change and that one member of a relationship cannot change without affecting the other. And I see this as a good thing.

I cannot hang onto the status quo simply because it is predictable. Instead, I must keep myself open to the new shape of my relationships and trust that our love will flourish as we continue to grow.

Some who needed me in the past may not need me as much now. This is good! This is a sign of growth. I am open to this growth and will not try to keep those I love dependent on me, so that I can continue to receive the expressions of love that I have been used to.

I will trust that growing people are happy people, that happy people are loving people, and that the love I gave will come back to me twenty-fold.

I think of a child, bringing me dandelions. If she brought them to me as a teenager, would they even mean the same thing? What about as an adult?

I may miss the toddler with the fistful of sunny weeds, but would I really want to keep her so young and so helpless? No! I must allow her to move on into something deeper, something more complex.

The same is true in all my relationships. I give myself permission to let go of one form of love so that I am able to receive a newer and better expression of that love.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How have my relationships changed over time?
2. What benefits have I received because of my willing to let others grow and change?
3. Am I hanging onto an expression of love in my life that would be better turned loose?