Recently I had occasion to recall a conversation I once had with a longtime friend about the nature of relationships with women; of lust, desire, romance, passion, regret, frustration and sometimes even sadness. It was primarily an academic discussion, generally speaking and with no particular emphasis on current or former girlfriends/lovers/partners etc.
She has had many more girlfriends than I and over the years has imparted little tips, helpful hints, and bits of learned insight about "understanding women." I have on occasion sought her council, heeded her advice, or simply deferred to her experience as it frequently exceeded my own.
As we had exhausted the topic she offered this very general, oversimplified, psuedo-poetic summary:
Sometimes you really want her
Sometimes you even get her
Most times you just don't understand her
But you must never lose her before you've actually lost her
I'm not entirely sure what that means but I was reminded of it and thought to share it.
(orig post 6/19/19)