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Ode to Seal Team

I'm in Love.

As in all romantic comedy story lines, I met my love while life was not going me well. In fact, it was kind of kicking me in the nuts. I have issues with depression, and my psychiatrist told me to work out five days a week. Know what sucks worse than being depressed? Working out at the gym five days a week by yourself. My boyfriend broke up with me on a sidewalk, and obliterated me from his life in an impressive 15 minute purge-a-thon of social media. Work was kicking my ass, and grad school applications were filling me with anxiety that no amount of fish oil or emotional eating could mitigate.*

I was down, feeling unsure of my ability to make change, ready to embark on a quest of some sort. Maybe I'd drop everything and go on an around the world tour getting to know myself. But alas, not enough money! Maybe I could have a summer fling who would teach me how to trust my inner voice, but the seasons speed by for no woman. And then, surprisingly, unexpectedly, serendipitously, I met Seal Team. ST for short because we like nicknames.

ST was on sale for Black Friday, and looked like it would be the perfect challenge for girl, nay, a woman, like me. I approached cautiously, committed to a date or two, and then anxiously waited. Our courtship was brief, a whirlwind. I was sending an email one day, and then two days later, signing papers. Our impending connection filled me with alternate bouts of anticipation and anxiety. Could this be the one? What if I hate it? I will probably hate it! What if I'm not good enough for ST? Also, I'd never dated a jock before, so I was a little hesitant about that.

I can now safely tell you that all my fears were for naught. Three days in, and I'm on cloud nine. Sure, my body is ached and bruised, but my confidence in myself is renewed. I feel alive and physical and I love waking up each day knowing that the first thing I do will be something I do just for me. Having felt for so long incapable, doing something today that I thought I couldn't do yesterday has changed the way I see other challenges. Whatever is happening today, I've got it because I also have ST. I did that. I DID THAT!

I'm sure as we continue to see each other, the newness will wear off, we will become familiar. However, I'm confident that I've found the one. This is a good thing I won't be letting go of any time soon.

*I had some good things going for me, like financial security and the best friends in the whole universe (seriously, you should be jealous), but for artistic license we're going to pretend that I was in some sort of horrid state of abject misery. Work with me, here!

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