Coon, CarrieI am learning that if you think it’s the real thing, and it turns out not to be so, it is still the real thing for you — however painfully unrequited or quietly lost. To doubt your instincts or deny your feelings does little to prepare you for the actual real thing when it finally comes along. If you shut down and withdrawal and stop trusting, you may miss it. The actual real thing probably looks nothing like what you’re expecting; it may bear very little resemblance to the real things that came before. Maybe that’s exactly how you know. Be honest, be bold, be honest, be brave, be vulnerable, risk everything, be honest. Simple, but not easy. Not easy, but better than being afraid.