Affirmation and Praise

You can't just say it once and believe it to be enough. She has heard it a hundred times before, that very same thing, she believed the first time, then the second, it took a little longer... it turned out she shouldn't have. So often she prayed so hard for thunder, and was so thankful for the deluge, she danced to get wet. Because she confuses the rain for what is real... But as she began to dry off, it laid her bare, she has learned. Perhaps you could see her heart thirsty, and understand that a little downpour will not heal her; it'll take time, it'll take patience and persistent nourishment before true restoration will occur. Don’t ever assume that once watered, she will bloom, and open up to you. She will question everything, she will retreat often, and sometimes she needs to be reminded, re-filled with frequent sustenance of truth, of how you actually see her, versus this desolation that she sees and feels within herself. Don’t get frustrated when she's insecure, don't be presumptious and assume that it's about you. Try to understand, try and feel honored in the fact that she has trusted you with her vulnerability, and share this deserted land with you... Because honestly, this need for affirmation and praise is a part of what she has become, a part which she is deeply ashamed of, and her past has likely taught her to feel pathetic for desiring it..