There’s always the delicate dance between the right one at the time and the right one for all time. Whether we’re talking the right job, the right home, the right friend, the right partner. There’s also the remarkable debate about soul mates: do we find “the one” or do we find there may be more than one “perfect match” in a world of interesting and loving people. I honestly believe it’s a gentle and fine fusion of these two theories.

One thing’s for certain, isn’t it? The “right one” is the one we brave the elements for.

It doesn’t matter which part of the dance we’re talking about: the right one at the time or the right one we want to move along time with…..we know it is right because we brave the elements for them.

The right job is the one we fight for and the one we dedicate extra hours for, in effort to shape the organization and its people. Once, when I was in the right job at the right time, my boss (the owner) would tell me I didn’t have to clean and shape the flower display. He’d ask what I had in mind for the day, and if it was the day to make sure our display was sparkling, I’d tell him.  Spending lots of time in the cooler, chilly and full, was something he may have been reluctant to delegate, but it was absolutely important for the shop. It wasn’t too much to give a little extra on the job, especially for a wonderful boss and owner, I’d thought. Our actions speak louder than words, especially when it’s the right fit. A few chilly minutes in the cooler was worth the clean and sparkling look, too. We brave the elements for the right job, sometimes literally.

The right friend is the one we prioritize personal time for, or the one we forgive for immaturity or offense, or the one we should’ve asked for forgiveness from but didn’t need to. And perhaps that right friend comes along as both of you are growing in life and look for new perspectives. You find each other and, like two birds of a feather, get to know eachothers’ space a little better. Which means you get to know yourselves a little better along the way. And, no matter where you roam, you always have another home to return to in that new right friend. We brave the elements of honesty, compromise, loyalty and especially vulnerability for those right friends that come along, don’t we?

The right partner, at the time, later on down the road or for all time, comes along apparently unexpectedly. And then we brave elements of patience, perseverance and vulnerability. We especially brave elements of fear and trust, ultimately bringing out the best in ourselves and each other. The right one helps you find what you’re looking for, sometimes bringing you what they’ve found for you. The right one at the time or for all time braves the elements to let you help them as well.

It takes courage, perseverance, flexibility….it’s easy to be easy going with the right ones. It’s also an easy decision when the going gets tough, because the right partner is the one we are bold for.

The right ones that we move along time with, whether romantically or otherwise, may come and go. They may come and stay. But we brave the elements for them and, for the right ones, we always will.

That’s how we know it, and how they know it too.