Landon and I are coming up on our four-year anniversary since we got involved. Some folks might call that a ‘new’ relationship and I can see how they could rate it that way. But as I said in a previous blog, both Landon and I both could have been voted ‘least likely to succeed’ in relationships, based on our track record.

Mine:  I’d been single since just after the 6-day course in 1979, (led by Landon), when I realized that my marriage was lacking true communication and aliveness. My thirty-year journey after that consisted of many serial monogamous relationships, but never one that lasted more than a 1½ years. I was ready to push the eject button when things got rough and always got out.

Landon had been single sixteen years when we met and he can describe his journey, but I would summarize it as ‘going for the pictures’, which never worked out.  He was still very committed to those pictures when we met. If you’ve read our book, you know the story. If you haven’t you can get the story by watching the videos of our book signing on our website.

The whole point of our book is that we didn’t start out in the bliss and flush of ‘true love’. We started at the other end, where most relationships end. What we discovered, almost by accident, were some key ingredients to creating a true partnership and with that, the love and bliss came in too.

So for anyone thinking “yeah, yeah, what do they know, they’re still ‘in love’, I would say, ‘Yes, we are ‘in love’ now, but earned it from facing our own issues, talking authentically, trying to stay awake to ourselves, each other and the relationship’. We know how to face the rough parts, which life hands out on a regular basis.  And we’d like to make a difference with what we now know.

I was happy in my life on my own. I had great kids, sweet grand children, work I loved, a beautiful home and farm, great friends. I wasn’t lonely, but I still longed for a partner. I longed for that piece of my life to be healed.  Now that it is, I feel a new freedom and peace.

Opening up to the possibility of finding a partner, especially later in life, takes giving up any cynicism or resignation you may have about the whole arena, and there can be plenty of that. But the step forward of letting go of those two aliveness killers can create more freedom and peace in itself.

So write to us with questions and we’ll respond as soon as we can. If you’re longing for a relationship, it may be time to get on to the mat and off the sidelines. As Michelle Obama said before the 2008 campaign, ‘we’re more ready that we know’.

All the best,

Diane