A year of growing in love

Love requires us to grow. 
When you truly love someone neither of you stays the same. Love invites you to expand, step into your light, and leave shame behind. 
I think this is why it has felt so scary to many of us. It asks you to give more of yourself and put your guard down. It asks you to receive love from another and hold them when they too put their walls down. 
Love is not for the weak. It does make you stronger though. 

El otro dia we were reflecting on some of the areas we feel we still need to grow in. Dejame te digo que mi corazon still gets scared when I'm invited to be vulnerable. Love requires courageous vulnerability in order to grow. I love myself and my partner too much to not grow-- so I step in and open up.

Pero como dice mi papa whenever we get too deep, "Time to come up for air."

Laughter and intentional moments of joy foster intimacy and safety. Some of my favorite moments are the carcajadas that come when one of us farts or when we say/do something silly.  I love watching shows together and taking the dog out for a walk. One of the main things I've learned this year is to pay attention to her-- what are her needs, what brings her joy, what can I do to continue cultivating joy and trust? I want to continue being intentional and putting in effort-- tending to our garden. 

On our anniversary I surprised Ana Sheila by setting up the "ambiance" downstairs con velas, flores, y plantitas arranged almost like a mandala. She brought me wine, chocolate cake, and a couples game in which we asked each other "intimate" questions. We smoked and lay in the center of our flower and candle circle. We listened to our playlist and celebrated our love, our journey-- our growth. It's felt like a garden we are cultivating. She is a garden. I am a garden. We are growing juntas-- y es algo hermoso. It happens naturally, organically and also requires intention.