You Don't Make Me

 You Don't Make Me

You don't make me smile.

You don't make me feel safe. 

You don't make me a better person.

You don't make me happy. 

But you look at me with such a warmth in your gaze I can't help but smile. 

You hold me in your arms and as I breathe you in I feel completely safe in your embrace. 

You listen patiently and hold my hand as I work my way out of generations of trauma and hurt, growing into the best version of myself. 

You look at me, you hold me, you listen to me... and my heart swells and occasionally overflows out of my eyes with what can only be called respect, gratitude, and joy. 

You don't MAKE me feel or do anything... but you show up everyday, exactly as you are and allow me to show up, exactly as I am... 

And it just works.