Well, ladies and gentlemen, I guess I should go ahead and share that I have been in transition over the past couple of weeks--a friendship I have had the pleasure of being involved in for quite some time now has blossomed into something more, and the event has, of course, blind-sided and overwhelmed us both.

It's a new thing for me, being in a healthy relationship.

I've been in several unhealthy ones before, largely as a result of my own choices and irresponsibility as a man in responding to the emotions and concerns of others. I can tell you the ins and outs of how to alienate a woman and what not to say (and when the worst times to say certain things are)--and I can tell you (in vivid detail) what it's like to scare someone who may (or may not) love you away because of your personal intensity.

It's so nice to be in a relationship where I'm encouraged and nurtured to grow, and to have a healthy connection with someone who loves me and cares for me far more than I deserve. I wish I could have had this kind of experience a long time ago--but then again, perhaps the timing (given the self-evaluation I have undergone after my ex-church closed its doors) is perfect after all . . .