Random but I remember an old interview Ioan did, maybe around early 2000’s, perhaps? I just know that he was a young man. He said that the compliment he has heard most in his life is that he’s patient.
I talked to my DBT therapist last night, telling him how I could never risk falling in love again because there’s no one out there patient enough to handle me. But I told him that, despite this, I secretly want to find a very calm & collected partner who could help change me for the better—so that I, in turn, could love them in a more fulfilling way. As much as try to deny myself this opportunity, I would like to have a partner, one who is particularly forgiving and understanding. And I would grow for them, and for myself. I would treat them with the respect they deserve for exercising that patience with me and my many troubles.
Alice ultimately cuffed Ioan (through pressure and emotional manipulation, mind you). For nearly 20 years, she was in the arms of an extremely patient partner, someone who emphasized being understanding towards her and others. She had this grand opportunity to use his calm and forgiving nature to make the spiritual, emotional, and mental adjustments necessary to be better for both him and herself. She had a shining chance to grow from this special partnership.
She wasted this man. She wasted something so, so valuable. Ioan was taken advantage of in one of the cruelest ways—imagine someone expecting you to be extremely serene and forgiving, more than what is typical, and imagine them learning absolutely nothing from these gifts you offer. Imagine them imposing upon you their faulty personality, assuming you’ll manage them like you always do, and never for even a minute outgrowing their problematic behaviors. She absolutely wasted him.
I think one of the most tragic things we can do in life is not recognize our blessings. Lord only knows I’m still getting the hang of this, but it really is quite sad. Alice didn’t realize what she had until it was gone, and even now, I’m not convinced that she fully recognizes what is gone. I don’t think she’ll ever completely understand.
Sorry for being wordy. I was just thinking about this…