What's the longest relationship you've been in?

9 years. 100 months of ups and downs, highs and lows, love and hate, ecstasy and numbness - a total freaking rollercoaster that ended up in unpleasant divorce ...

We had our moments of magic, but the older we got, the more we parted ... none of us realizing the gap widening ... and we continued the madness of constant truce negotiations (exchange of demands, conditions and concessions) ignorantly and naively attached to the projection of ideal partners we were once to be ... until it all collapsed with an outburst of frustration demolishing the sand castle of apparent security and stability.

But I have learned the most important lessons of my life:

• to love and respect myself (how can you love anyone when unable to love yourself)
  
• to accept my loneliness (detachment) - it is hard to be in a relationship, unless you learn how to live alone ...
• to regain confidence (fear not of what you are)
  
• to find the courage and grit to stand for my vision (say no assertively)
  
• and mostly, to love others ... unconditionally, unlimitedly, unendingly ... expecting nothing in return (detachment) - love being the ultimate goal
  

... and I got married again  ... it has been two years already and I am still breathless when thinking of HER ;) and our SON of course!

peace, love, integrity
Janusz