My wants list

My lovely ladies here at the APH always have some of the most interesting and entertaining conversations. I usually just sit in the background and giggle about how goofy and wonderful they all are. A recent convo they had while hanging out in the hall office was their non-negotiable qualities when it comes to guys and dating. (Yes, some stereotypes we reinforce willingly. We really do make lists of what we want our guys to be like.) As always, they want me to join in the process, but for this conversation I politely declined due to employer - employee boundaries, even though the real reason was that I wasn't sure what my non-negotiable qualities were.

But that conversation stuck with me, as most do. It got me to think about a few of the things I want out of relationships. So I made my own list. And by no means do these items only pertain to a dating relationship, but these are things I want present with any form of relationship I develop. So here goes.

I want to be a risk taker and someone to take a risk on

I want to surround myself with people who want to see me become a better person no matter what trials arise and know that they'll stand by me through it all

I want to be able to say out loud what I think and what I feel without the fear that I'm saying or feeling too much 

I want to know that the people I back up, defend, support, encourage and cheer for won’t hesitate to do the same for me

I want my ability to love unconditionally be the thing that people love the most about me

So there ya have it. My "I want's" list. Nothing too extensive. The most encouraging part about these things that I want is knowing that in some relationships I have these things. The people I have this type of relationship with are the people that are nearest and dearest to my heart. I am continually thankful for their unconditional love and for being such a blessing to me! 

So maybe it is okay to make lists of non-negotiable qualities you want in relationships. I think many of us get scared of knowing what we want and being okay with holding tightly to those things. However, if those things make you a better person, I think they are worth having!