I don’t talk a lot about my relationship on here. That is an aspect of my life I try to keep private. But in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I want to talk about something that my partner and I both do in the hopes that it will encourage and inspire you in your relationships, either current or future ones.

My boyfriend is my best friend, and because of that, he supports me in most things I do. Before I talk about what his support means, I want to give a few examples of what that support looks like.

I started martial arts before I met my boyfriend. Once we got together, he showed up in every way. He attended competitions I participated in, he met all of my taekwondo friends, and he always trains with me when I need it. In addition, he was my self-defense partner for my first degree black belt test. I love getting to show him things I’m working on, and he always helps me to do better.

If this isn’t your first time on my site, then you know I’m a teacher. Teaching is hard work. While my boyfriend can’t be in the classroom with me, he’s always willing to listen to the plans I’m making and the things that I’m working on. He’s quick to tell me that he’s proud of me. He also reminds me to take a break and take care of myself when things get too stressful.

My partner also supports my ideas, dreams, projects, and goals. I got my sister and my mom jerseys for a local professional sports team for Christmas. A couple of weeks before Christmas, one of the players of the team (who happened to be one of the jerseys I bought) was signing autographs. My boyfriend encouraged me to go and was willing to go with me. We waited in line for around an hour. But it was worth it for the extra surprise on Christmas.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the future lately, both as an individual and within the parameters of my relationship. But it is so exciting and encouraging to have a partner who supports the dreams I do have and who helps me to dream even bigger than I thought possible. He’s so excited to help me on my way as I work to become a better person, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

I know I’ve been talking about the things he does for me, but please believe I also support him as well. I encourage his dreams, his goals, and his plans for what he wants to do and who he wants to be. That’s how we’re able to work so well together. It’s both give and take. There’s push and pull. Sometimes I need more support, and sometimes he needs more of me to lean on.

I’m not going to pretend that my relationship is completely perfect. We go through issues like any couple, but we work to handle them so that they don’t fester and damage the relationship. But it helps that we do support each other in the ways that we do.

There is so much that having my partner’s support means to me. I can shoot for large goals, knowing he’ll cheer me on if I succeed and pick me up if I fall. I can plan for a future where I worry more about who I want to be as opposed to what I want to do. I can spend time apart, and we can spend time together. Regardless, nothing is going to change in our relationship. He trusts me, and I trust him. We always have each other’s backs on everything. He gives me grace when I mess up, and I cheer him on when he does something really cool. We push each other to be better so that we never grow stagnant in our goals. I am better because I have his support.

I don’t write this post to flaunt how great my relationship is. There are days that it’s not that great. Rather, I write this post to shed some light on something that I think is important in a relationship. If you are in or looking for a relationship, I hope support is a criteria on your list. And this also isn’t just blind support for your partner to be abusive or hurt the relationship. This is support for growth and improvements. This is support for bad days when you feel down. That’s what I mean. I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day however you celebrate and whoever you celebrate with!