It would be an untruth if I attributed my growth to only reading books, journaling daily, seeking a therapist and relying on my family.  It also involved removing unhealthy relationships to allow new ones to enter.  When you go through something dramatic or traumatic, you just try to survive, and survival means doing what is best for you, not appeasing others.  Insult will be taken, but in order for you to endure, you have to be honest with yourself and only surround your soul with ones that are uplifting.

I received such beautiful, unexpected support after my separation from friendships that were silent while I was married and new ones that surfaced out of nowhere.  And this is where the universe sheds its magic.  You release the toxic, and then you’re served with what you actually need.  Sometimes we take these connections for granted and cast them off as coincidences, but due to the value they add to your life, I believe otherwise.

Granted, these individuals might only be in your life for a designated time, despite your longing to keep them for a lifetime.  My greatest connection was lost due to circumstances, yet the way he enriched my life has left a permanent marking.  I will wholeheartedly admit that a bulk of my personal growth and transformation is attributable to him.  So much so that when you look at me, you will see glimpses of his lasting effects.

Evolvement comes with open mindedness, and sometimes it takes a special someone to show you just how untrue to yourself you have been.  Your untruth gets exposed, you realize you want a change, and now you have another strong supporting hand to encourage and embrace your metamorphosis.  This is what he did for me, and individuals like him are angels on Earth.

Life throws lots of uncertainties, yet I’ve learned that it also provides you with timely love.  This love can come through family, friends, or a partner, and it can be temporary or permanent.  Whatever the case may be, accept the love that is healthy for you with no expectations.  Enjoy every single moment you are given proper love that raises you up.  Let it serve you.  Let it heal you.  For these ones providing you this love were planted in your life to provoke and promote you to blossom.

While I wish I could hold onto the angel that I lost, I will forever know my strides would have been just mere steps without him.  I will forever marvel and hold dear to what he’s taught me.  I will also forever view him as a soulmate, and I would like to believe that in another dimension our timelines are in our favor.  His impact on my life didn’t lessen just because circumstances became what they were.  Just like we each leave a footprint in this world, he’s left a forever mark in my heart.

I could be bitter that I have loved and lost again, but I have chosen not to be.  Yes, at times I have felt the universe dangled a carrot in my face, teased me with placing this angel in my life to then not allow us to be, and from that, anger did ensue.  But the reality is I’d rather have had him in my life for as long as I did than never have had him in my life at all.

Love, cherish, and remember always the individual or individuals that didn’t have to be there for you in your darkest of times but willingly were.  Thank them spontaneously because they had a helping hand in genuinely saving you, and sometimes we just don’t know how much saving we really need, especially from ourselves, until someone patiently, lovingly, and selflessly shows us the way.

I am forever thankful for the angel that came into my life in the summer of 2001 and didn’t give up on me in my hardest of times from 2012 forward, but rather he held my hand tightly, guiding me and showing me that not everything goes as planned, but the universe did us right by at least making sure we met.