Dearness Only

“ I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the man to ascend to his own greatness. Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism. ”

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Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

There are aspects of this that I can really relate to. Am I the victim of my own optimism? Does it even matter? Ahh, I don’t know but this snippet certainly made me feel all reflectional…