[Shawnee123]

That is a nice post, Ali. I too have been around that block. Crazy mad in love is nice...what is nicer is contentment and feeling safe with the other person. Love is a conscious decision, a choice, a "for the long haul" will this person be what I need? Crazy love only lasts so long, is this long-lasting?

I was talking to married friends last night, and I mentioned "oh, we've all only been married once." They corrected me: she had been married 6 times and he had been married 3 times.

I forgot that. That's crazy talk! I can't imagine being married again, but if I ever am, it will be a better decision for ME than the one I made lo those many years ago. Not that I would change any of it. The love I felt is still there, in the form of friendship, which is what we were both good at with each other anyway. Still, it took me a long time to get involved again, with all the shields and walls one might expect.
The wait was worth it.