How To Know You’ve Found “The One”
the advice I would give to my younger self about love
The right person will feel like a gentle exhale.
Like the first cool morning in October after a lingering hot summer. Like a long walk with no destination, a good book and a day just for reading it, or that perfectly made cup of coffee on a Sunday morning. They will bring with them a sense of ease and simplicity. You will uncover a knowing that tells you, you’re home.
The right person will make you feel ready.
To come out of your cocoon. To begin. To learn. To try and fail. They will bring out your bravery. Cheer you on. Dust you off. They will show you why you didn’t give up, even when you thought there was nothing left to believe in.
The right person will push you.
To the edges of your comfort zone. To the things you want that scare you. To the life that’s calling you. They will love you with a devotion so fierce it will expose the pieces of your heart that still need to be tended to. They will tend to them with you.
The right person will open your heart.
You will find safety in shared vulnerability. Their honesty will give you permission to live your truth. You will share your past and be loved for it, not in spite of it. Your capacity for compassion will grow. You will understand what it is to love a human, not just the pieces of a person.
The right person will not always agree with you.
But they will never silence your voice. They will never make you feel small for believing something different. They will not be just like you, but they will act as a mirror for you. Reflecting back your light and your shadow. Showing you where you still have room for growth.
The right person will spoil you.
Not with things. With time. Affection. Tenderness. Compassion. Empathy. Attention. Sincerity. Laughter. Gratitude. Presence. Friendship. Memories. Your life with them will feel whole, even when it is just beginning.
The right person will believe in your dreams.
The outlandish ones. The wild ones. The ones that scare you. They will see your potential and do everything they can to extract it from you. They will allow you the space to figure it out. They will allow you the grace when you wander from your path.
The right person will not complete you.
They will make you feel complete, on your own. They empower your individuality. Honor your uniqueness. They will not fix you. They will show you that you were never actually broken.
The right person will expand your life.
They will open your eyes to a new world. A brighter world. They will show you new places, introduce you to new people, encourage you to try new things. Your life will not settle when they arrive, it will bloom.
The right person is the one who surprises you.
The right one doesn’t set off fireworks, but ignites a slow burn. They might be the one you didn’t realize you wanted. The right person is the one who breaks your patterns. Whose existence encourages you to choose a different way. The right person is the one you never expected, who changes your expectations forever.
The right person speaks with their actions.
They will acknowledge when they’ve hurt you. They will apologize, and not just with their words. They show you they are sorry by the way they show up in the aftermath. The right person won’t just tell you they love you, they will show you. They will prioritize you and you will notice how different it feels to be loved out loud.
The right person comes at the right time.
Not the perfect time. You won’t find them when you’re desperate for a distraction from your pain. You won’t find them when you’re afraid you’ll end up alone. You won’t find them when you’re still convinced you need them. The right person shows up when you’ve done to understand that you are whole on your own. When your heart has been cracked open enough to let them in.
There’s a mantra I adopted a few years ago. For the important things in life, I am infinitely patient. I waited my whole life for this love and I would do it all over again.
So please, don’t settle for a love that feels like less than you deserve.
I know that settling feels easier than waiting. I know that settling feels easier than being alone. But I also know, if I would have settled, if I would have stayed, I would never gotten to experience this.
Love Always,
Krista Marie
PS - There is so much more where this came from. Free subscribers get access to two posts per month. Paid subscribers receive full access to every post. Double the content. Double the magic. Double the hope. If this post resonated with you, it’s time. You deserve to feel grounded in your becoming.
ALSO! The biggest thank you to our incredible photographer Jess for these beautiful pictures. If you’re local and need a photographer I truly cannot recommend her enough. xo