And this is called.......growing......

A while back, I met someone.

It was a chance meeting, and one that I thought wouldn't lead to anything in particular.

I was wrong.

Turns out, he is a truly wonderful guy. I was surprised by many things about him - his intelligence, his maturity, his insight, his wit, his sensitivity. As most women do (but few will admit to), I have a checklist for things I'm looking for in a man.......and this man hit the mark on everything except one (which was a non-issue).

We logged lots of emails, IMs, texts......and a phone call here and there. We went places, did things, spent time together. It was so much fun! I found myself becoming something I hadn't been in a long, long time......vulnerable. But, sometimes......vulnerability is okay.

We kept things casual..........no dating, no labels........but at times, there was affection. At times, there wasn't. At times, he'd look at me with longing. At times, he'd treat me like one of the guys. And that was okay.

Then, one day, he asked me about my expectations, what I was wanting to happen between us.

And I had no idea how to respond.

After much hemming and hawing, and basically thinking out loud, I explained that if he asked me out, I would say yes; but if he didn't, that was fine. I meant it, too.

Kindly, my new friend explained that he wasn't looking for anything more than friendship with me. He didn't want to lead me on or raise my hopes for something more. He wanted to keep our relationship as just friends.

And you know what? That's okay.

Last night, we spent some time together at a friend's birthday party. Knowing exactly where we - and I - stood made it possible for me to relax, be myself, and have a fabulous time. I could tell he was much more at ease as well. It's like the proverbial white elephant in the room had finally been acknowledged, thus removing its power over the situation.

There is a wonderful man out there whom I am meant to meet someday......one who will be as swept off his feet by me as I am of him........and we will be more than just friends. However, there is a wonderful man in my life right now who is a fabulous friend - he brings a unique point of view to how I view things, and he makes me laugh - and I couldn't be happier that we've met.

I believe this is called.....growing.