So recently I decided to do something that I have always wanted to do...skydiving.
That experience was incredible, but for me it reflected something more....the stages of a relationship. You may be thinking "are you
crazy? What does that have to do with relationships?"
Well luckily for you...I can tell you.
So let's start off with walking into the plane. You don't know what to expect and you are contemplating whether or not you should turn around and go home. It is that same feeling you may experience before your first date.
"What should I do? Am I going to survive this? Maybe I should just cancel and eat a tub of ice cream while watching Bridget Jones Diary and call it a day?"
All reasonable thoughts that go through your mind before a first date.
Then you are in the plane. Not too late to turn back, but not the best time to run either. You also have that nervous-yet-excited-with-a-hint-of-scared feelings going through your body, but yet try to hold it all together so you don't look weird.
You look around and as others jump out of the plane, you start thinking "Oh sh**, this is happening" and now there is NO turning back. As you walk towards the exit and look down towards the clouds, everything just opens up and you just want to bottle in that emotion. It like an instant connection or feeling of just "wow this is great!"
Then you let go and finally jump into it. You let the other person take control (somewhat) and let them guide you through the clouds.
However, during your journey you may hit some rain clouds (and yes I did hit rain clouds during my skydiving) and it hurts (literally...skydiving in a rain cloud actually hurts).
Now, this rain cloud can last a short amount of time in your relationship or be way longer than expected (and it definitely sucks when you are in it), but guess what, that moment doesn't last forever.
If you are willing to continue on this journey with your partner, the rain cloud will eventually go away and those moments of bliss can return....but you have to stick with it. No matter how hard it hurts, if you and your partner are willing to work together you can see that silver lining (haha get it? Because every cloud has a silver lining 😂😉😝).
Then your parachute is deployed and you really get to relax and enjoy the ride with your partner, guiding your way down in any direction that you see fit for your relationship.
It may rain again (which it did for me) but that doesn't have to ruin the experience, sometimes it can make it better (it made my experience MUCH more memorable). It's all about what you learn from your journey!
Whether or not you and your partner have a smooth landing and you frolic together into the horizon...take the relationship as a learning experience in which to grow and mature.
And also don't be afraid to jump into something scary because it is scary. You may just have the best stories to tell later on because of it! Like this cat -->
Written by: Jessica Jefferson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Cloud Nine Therapeutic Services. My passion is
helping individuals who want to learn more about themselves and not get lost within the expectations of being in a relationship. I help them learn more about what makes them unique so that they can overcome their challenges and find peace. I am here when you are ready to start the process to learn more about yourself.