A Love Story

I remember Pema always saying that men are much simpler than women are when it comes to love, that their needs in love relationships are less complicated than a woman's needs.

When it comes to love, I am a complicated woman. To be sure. I yearn to be claimed, possessed by the men I love. If I love a man who is reluctant to claim me, who is not overcome with passion to possess me and who does not act on this passion, I suffer endlessly. My heart breaks. I become distraught with dissatisfaction.

But be sure, if a man in his self-righteous sense of importance, perceives my time and attention as anything less than a gift, my availability as something that is in anyway owed him, or somehow his right--if he suggests a possessive claim on me, my desire for him diminishes. My passion fails. I balk at his arrogance and lose interest.

And jealousy? Well, a little jealously can be a good thing as it suggests attachment to the love bond, an acknowledgment of the significance of the relationship. But beware, feeling a little (or even a lot) of jealousy momentarily is one thing, while acting on it in some obvious and overt way is extremely unattractive and off-putting.

All this a fine line for a man to walk. A very fine line. I understand. Like I said, I am a complicated woman.

And then again, it's just a story. A good story. A true story. But nevertheless, just a story. Not to make light of it. No, not at all.