Opening Day

Baseball season officially kicked off this week and since Opening Day feels sort of like a national holiday in my household, I always gear up for it by watching some sports-related rom-coms.

Fever Pitch, A League of Their Own, Bull Durham… all great ones! But one of my favorite sports-related movies is Jerry Maguire.  Yes, I know it’s about football and not baseball, but it’s a favorite of mine. 

Watching it again after so many years, I realize how much one part, that I used to look at through dreamy eyes, now bothers me a bit.

It’s the whole ‘you complete me’ premise. Granted, I was 17 years old when the movie came out, so my vision of love and partnership was anything but wise.  As a teen, of course, I saw that part of the movie with stars in my eyes and unrealistic visions in my heart.

And now that I’m a grown-up who’s experienced both some not-so-great relationships and also a pretty awesome marriage, I’m glad that my husband doesn’t complete me.

I think the most unhealthy relationships of my young adulthood had too much of a component of needing to ‘complete’ each other that it resembled dependence in a very much not-so-great way.  

And I’m grateful that’s behind me.

Because, what I now know from lived experience, is that completing each other is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Instead of ‘you complete me’, strive for:

You support me.
You encourage me.
You challenge me to grow.
You prop me up when I stumble.
You get me.

You are willing to grow with me.

All really beautiful things when shared together!

I’m cheering the two of you on.

-A

P.S. Creating a thriving relationship takes a lot of work. Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can help the two of you be even more successful in love!