I spent the summer solstice weekend celebrating love.
My dear friend Christina’s wedding party celebration reminded me that love doesn’t need to adhere to timelines. These two gorgeous humans met, got engaged, and married all within the space of 12 months.
When you know, you know 😅
It made me think of the comments that I have both said and heard from both sides of relationships (being the person in the relationship sharing my pace, and being the person hearing that a friend is in a relationship and sharing theirs):
“‘That was quick!’
‘Wow, you’re moving pretty slowly.’
‘We’re taking it slow.’
‘We jumped right into it.’
‘I want to take this slowly.’
‘Let’s explore where this goes.’”
All of these are judgments, right? Based upon our own love stories.
Because when are two loves ever the same?
When have you ever had two relationships that followed the exact same timeline?
If you’ve dated someone and heard them say, “I want to take it slow,” you may have either resonated with what they said or felt confused about what that person really desires. But the majority of the time, that person is simply protecting themselves from a previous experience.
Because in a recent study, more than half (55%) of young adults agreed that their breakups have made them more reluctant to begin new romantic relationships.
Dating in 2026 is different from how it was for generations before.
So I really believe what more of the world needs is real, raw, open, and honest conversations. And the only way these can begin is from a nervous system that feels comfortable enough to have these (sometimes) uncomfortable conversations in the first place.
How?
Through time in silence.
Through reflection.
Through getting in touch with our own somatic experiences.
Through keeping the promises we make to ourselves.
And once this groundwork is set, the fear of “moving quickly” or “taking it slow” is no longer the factor driving the relationship.
The factor driving the relationship is the clarity, care, and shared values established from the beginning.
I’ve seen friends go from not being in a relationship for years to becoming pregnant and committed within a matter of months because the way they approached dating changed after connecting differently with their own bodies.
Relationship pace is different for all of us, and I’m not here to say there is a right or wrong pace. Rather, from my own experience, when I’ve taken the time to explore myself first, the fear of losing the other person (because that’s usually what is behind the words) by moving “too fast” or “too slow” begins to dissipate.
Curious to hear your thoughts on this…
Kisses x