People with anxiety aren’t perfect, but nobody is.

When you love someone who has anxiety, you’re loving someone who is in tune with their every emotion. Someone who feels everything with their being and doesn’t apologize for it.

When you love someone who has anxiety you are loving someone who is sensitive and empathetic. And they are going to be sensitive with not only their own heart, but with your heart too.

They are going to be the type of person who senses your tension after a long day of work. They are going to sense your anger, just from your footsteps in the room. They are going to see your body language and hear the way you’re talking and immediately know if something is wrong.

People with anxiety are sensitive and old souls. They have so much heart. And they are going to pour all of their energy into this relationship.

They aren’t ever going to take you for granted because they know that they sometimes can be a handful. They aren’t ever going to shut you out, it’s not in their nature to tune out somebody they love and they will always be honest with you.

When you love someone with anxiety, you’re loving someone who believes in you with their whole heart and who loves you with their whole soul.

They know that they have baggage. They know that they have issues and that their mental health can sometimes bring you and your relationship down but, they trust you won’t leave.

When you love someone with anxiety, you’re loving someone who is never going to walk out, as long as you treat them with respect. You are loving someone who will give you their whole heart if you let them in, like they let you in.

You are loving someone who will nurture you when you are hurting, because they know exactly what that feels like.

You are loving someone who will hold you when your stress gets the best of you, because they know exactly what that feels like.

You are loving someone who will kiss your demons away, because they have spent their whole lives fighting their own ones.

You are loving someone who will never judge you for your mental health or your triggers, because they have lived with that their whole lives.

You are loving someone who will never laugh at your struggles or tell you that you are overreacting, because they have been laughed at countless times.

You are loving someone who will never take you for granted, because they know how rare it is to find love.

And when you love someone who has anxiety, you are loving a wonderful human being. Of course, anxiety doesn’t define who they are and it shouldn’t define your relationship. But, just know, that they aren’t broken people. In fact, anxiety is the reason why they are so damn strong and you’d be lucky to meet someone like them.

Get your copy of Lauren Jarvis-Gibson’s debut poetry collection Paper Hearts here.