There’s a difference between love… and attachment. Between true love and the kind of love that grows out of wounds, longing, or the ache of needing someone to fill a space.

This weekend, I finally felt the difference.

I had planned a solo camping trip—me, the stars, the earth, the fire. But I invited the kindred spirit. No expectations, no agenda. Just the hope of good company and a safe space shared. He said yes. He came. And it became something sacred.

We ran together. Dove into the water, playful and alive. Gathered firewood and wandered into a grove where sunlight danced between tree branches. In that clearing, we hugged—so tightly and so fully that when we pulled away, I felt like I had just made love with my soul, and our lips had never even touched.

We built a fire. Cooked dinner side by side. And when night fell, we took the cover off the tent so the entire sky opened up above us—stars scattered like flames, galaxies pulsing quietly just out of reach. We laid there, hands brushing, hearts open, breath slow and in sync. I felt so alive.

And then the truth came up from within me.

I turned to him and said, “I’m in love with you.”

Not because I needed him to say it back. Not to trap him, or to make a moment into something it wasn’t. But because it was my truth. And truths are meant to be spoken—not always for others, but for ourselves.

“I’m not telling you this for you,” I said. “I’m telling you this for me. I don’t need a response. I don’t expect anything from you. I just need you to know… that if I died tomorrow, I would die loving you.”

He squeezed my arm. Pulled me in close. He didn’t say the words—but I didn’t need him to.

Because love, real love, doesn’t demand confirmation.

Later, I shared a moment from my morning breathwork—a quiet whisper that came from within: He’s not ready. I didn’t understand it at first. But later, the full message arrived: He’s not ready to love you the way you deserve.

And that’s okay.

That message didn’t bring me sadness. It brought me peace. Because I finally understood that my love doesn’t require reciprocation to be real. It just is. It flows freely from the most honest part of me. It doesn’t bind. It doesn’t cling. It honors space and timing. It lets go without losing itself.

And that… that is what makes it true.

I think about the way we look at each other. How sometimes our conversations don’t happen in words, but in the silence between them. The way his eyes meet mine like they’ve known me for lifetimes. The way I never feel judged in his presence. I feel free. I feel like me. Raw, imperfect, radiant.

He doesn’t try to fix me. He honors me. And I do the same for him.

That night, I asked aloud, “What do you think our 60-year-old selves will say about this moment?”

He didn’t answer. He just squeezed my hand.

And I smiled. Because I already knew. They would remember this as a moment when love was pure. Not rushed. Not possessive. Just honored. Just true.

I don’t need to be his person right now. I just need to be mine. And I am. I am my own safe space. My own home. I’m growing. I’m shining. I’m stepping into the highest version of me so that when someone is ready to love me in full—I’ll be ready too.

And if it’s him, someday? Then what a beautiful alignment that would be.

But if not… it doesn’t diminish the truth of this moment. The kind of love I feel is not dependent on its destination. It’s sacred simply because it exists.

Everything I need is already within me—and that, too, is a form of true and sacred love.

✍️Journal Reflection Prompt

What truths are living inside of you right now, waiting to be spoken?

Who do you love without needing a response—and how does that love reflect the love you give yourself?

💫Soul Work Invitation

Spend time under the stars this week. Lie in silence. Ask yourself: What would my 60-year-old self thank me for right now?

Write the answer down. Speak your truth—first to yourself. That’s where all real love begins.

🌙Closing Quote

“True love is not about possession. It’s about appreciation.” — Osho

Always,

Casandra