1000 Days of Dating

Today marks 1000 days of dating Dylan, so I’m going to write 1000 things I love about him…

1. He is incredibly good looking
2. He can sing! (Seriously, he’s so good)
3. He is very smart

…Just kidding. What a boring post for you all.. Even though Dylan is incredible and there are so many things I love about him, I thought I would share just a couple of things that I’ve learnt over the past 1000 days. Maybe they can help you with your relationship, or help prepare you for one.

Here we go…

PATIENCE IS KEY
Patience has been one of the biggest things I’ve learnt. Probably the biggest. It isn’t at the top of the list because of anything negative.. It’s just been a big part of how we function. He is patient with me when I don’t understand things and he’s explaining something for the millionth time (probably should work on my listening skills haha), I am patient with him when he is playing guitar and all I want is attention (haha). There are a lot of other examples I could give as to where patience has come into things, but I don’t quite now how to put them in words just yet. Life doesn’t always go the way I plan (surprise, I’m not actually in control) and to be honest, sometimes I really struggle with that. I want to know the next move, I want to know what’s going to happen in the next month, year, or even five years, that’s just part of my personality. This adventure with Dylan has seen me slowly (sometimes very slowly) let go of the things I think I desperately need straight away. I know that patience is something I’ll forever be learning about, but it’s definitely been one of the biggest area’s I’ve grown in.

IT’S MORE THAN A FEELING
It’s a choice. Everyday, no matter how I am feeling, no matter what else is going on, I will always choose Dylan. I will choose to cheer him on, I will choose to listen, I will choose to understand, I will choose to love. I know that life will never be perfect, that things happen that are out of my control, that we are both human beings and are flawed. But I know that Dylan has so much greatness still that I’m yet to see, and I know that he is so good to me and for me so despite how I feel (happy, sad, angry, excited, scared etc.) I’ll choose him.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ME
Isn’t it just the worst when we realise this one. I feel like God kinda laughs (kindly) at me when I have the mindset that I know what I need, when I need it, and that the world revolves around me. But again, surprise, I’m not in control and it’s not all about me. I like to see my relationship with Dylan as being a part of a team. Now, I haven’t played in a sport team since Grade 6, but I do know the saying “There’s no I in team”. We work together, we see the other persons potential, we cheer the other person on. If I had the mindset that this relationship was purely about me and what I get out of it, I know that it would fail. It would be frustrating; it would probably be a mess. But I’ve been learning it’s not all about me. Sometimes I have to put my plans, my opinions aside for the benefit of us. I don’t see it as missing out either. All great loves require a sacrifice. That sacrifice may be time, it may be plans, money, whatever… But realising it’s not always about me, I think, helps keep things nice and balanced (because I know there’s been times where Dylan’s had to do the same).

KINDNESS RULES
This is something that I have intentionally worked on over the last few years even before dating Dylan, but it’s something that’s grown so much more so because of him. Mostly for me, it’s kindness in what I speak. I have learnt about how much words matter and how much kind words matter. “I told you so” isn’t a helpful phrase…at all. It doesn’t build the other person up. I intentionally praise Dylan, I intentionally show him kindness because I know for myself, when someone is kind or goes out of their way or tells me what they love about me, it shifts the way I’m feeling. I always want to be a person who makes people feel good about themselves, so being kind to Dylan is no exception.

GOD IS BIGGER…ALWAYS (last but not least by any means)
Always, always, always, always. No matter the feeling, the health level, the job, the dreams, the goals.. God is bigger. I’ve learnt that I don’t have to have it all mapped out because of this. I’ve learnt that God is in every single moment of my life, and that He has been since the day I was born and He will be till the day I die. He’s working a plan, and all I’ve got to do is listen and go where He says, when He says. That’s easier said than done, however, especially when things are hard, or when we’re sick, or when we seem to be facing a giant, but I love that God is bigger than my feelings. Over the last 1000 days, God has proven time and time again this – that He is bigger and that He is always faithful. How can I ever worry about my relationship, or anything in my life for that matter, when God has already done so much for me and for Dylan. I know that not a day has gone by, or will go by where God won’t have mine and Dylan’s best interests at heart and it’s such a sweet and comforting feeling.

I can’t wait to see what God does for us over the next thousand days. X