I've truly found peace

I feel like I've truly come to the realization that I will always be happiest as a single woman. No one I've dated has been able to compete with the level of care, compassion, and interest I've given myself. After taking some time to travel and reflect, I realized how much more liberated and peaceful I feel not worrying about trying to maintain relationships with men, where these relationships were going, and the constant disappointment of not having even the most basic of expectations met. My time is so precious and I foolishly wasted it on people who simply didn't care enough to return any courtesy or respect. The love I was looking for all along was always within myself. I also now have a greater value for platonic relationships with mutual care and consistent effort. It's funny how stepping out of the dating scene allows you to revisit yourself as a person, prioritize your own interests, and bring yourself back to a state of curiosity, gratitude, and whimsy for the world around you. We are so much more than what we can provide for others. Being someone's mother, wife, or girlfriend will never compare to the title of just being yourself, a human being, worthy of all the best life has to offer.