Standing on My Own Two Feet

Years ago, while walking a labyrinth, a phrase appeared in my mind:

Standing on my own two feet.

I remember feeling my stomach drop.

At the time, I was hoping to find love, and I worried the phrase meant I wasn't meant to have it.

As though standing on my own two feet and being loved were somehow opposites.

The phrase stayed with me.

Over time, I began to understand it differently.

Standing on my own two feet wasn't about being alone.

It wasn't about proving I didn't need anyone.

It was about knowing that I could trust myself.

That no matter what happened, I would still be me.

When love eventually arrived, something unexpected happened.

The healthier the relationship became, the more firmly I stood on my own two feet.

Not less.

More.

The right relationship didn't ask me to disappear into it.

It gave me room to be fully myself.

Looking back, I misunderstood the message.

Standing on my own two feet was never a warning against love.

It was preparation for receiving it.