21st Century Leadership

So it's been two and a half years since I became engaged to J (see "It's a nice box"). During these two and a half years, a lot has happened, and a lot has not happened. We have had a lot of fights, we have had a lot of arguments, we have had a lot of conflict. We have had a few short-lived breakups. That's all dirty laundry which I have generally kept out of this blog.

The six day workshop that I attended with J, 21st Century Leadership, was the laundromat. Can't quite call them the dry cleaners; there was rain, there were tears.

There was stubbornness, there was determination. There was intensity, there was tiredness, there was irritation, there was hurt; there was friendship, there was challenge, there was fun, there was laughter, there was learning. Extraordinary learning.

And so in the midst of this environment, I learned what I had forgotten. I learned the answer to a question that a mere week ago I could not answer: What is good about my relationship with J? I did not actually find an answer to the question What is *good* about it, but I found an answer to a better question, What is *great* about it. What is great is when I remember that J is gentle, sweet, caring. When I remember that, it is great. And that smells fresh and clean and warm like clothes that have just come out of the dryer.