My wife, Carolyn, and I have a saying: “thank you for being my person.” I am not quite sure of its origins or when we first started saying it, but it has become a very meaningful and powerful synonym to “I love you” for us.
But what does it mean? For us, it goes much deeper than being a spouse. Being “my person” is the recognition of an unparalleled level of trust and loyalty. It is a person you can reveal yourself to fully, and be accepted nonetheless. It is a person who is ever your champion and always has your back no matter what. It is a person whose presence elevates you and whose absence is always noticeable.
I count myself fortunate that my person is my wife. However, the identity of your person might not be synonymous with marriage and that is okay. The point is that we all need and deserve that special connection to someone who will walk alongside us (and sometimes to carry us) through life. Who that person is is unique to each of us.
Recognizing who your person is might not be that clear. We all have people in our life that we say we trust implicitly, but trust alone will not be the sole measure or ingredient for your person. So how do you know?
Some questions you can ask yourself:
- If you were in trouble anywhere in the world and allowed one phone call to save yourself, whom would you call?
- Who would drop everything in their life to help you?
- Could you tell this person your deepest darkest fear without being judged?
- Would they give you a hug for any or no reason?
These are just some things I have thought about, and the list certainly is not exhaustive. It is not an exact science and there cannot be true calculus in determining your person. It just comes down to a gut feeling; when you know, you know.
The last component in all of this is to not stop at knowing; push on to telling. Have you told your person lately how much you appreciate them?
We all need a person in our lives, but they need us just as much. Whether you do so often or not, reach out and connect with your person today. Tell them what they mean to you. Say “thank you for being my person.” I promise you will not be disappointed.
Keep Being Amazing!
