When whole meets whole
Two souls stepping into love
Each already complete
You bring your 100
And I raise you mine

Because love—real love—
It needs commitment
more than chemistry
It needs building blocks
more than butterflies
Real love, it needs nutrients

So feed love
with the elements that make life thrive:

Sunlight—
Surround each other in warmth on those dark days
Bring light that sustains
not like fireworks that fizzle out, die
But let truth rise between you like the sun, consistent and always present

Fresh air—
Breathe space into the life you are building
Creating room for each other to grow,
to exhale
No manipulating
No control
No stifling silence—
just openness between you

Rest—
Don’t wear each other down
Become each other’s Sabbath,
a place to lay,
to rest,
to be
Let your love feel like coming home

Nutrition—
Feed each other’s soul with words that nourish
not tear down
Serve each other honesty
Feast on it like it’s a gourmet meal—so you grow

Exercise—
Work at it
Work it out
Stretch into new understanding
Run from pride
Lift each other’s spirits
Stay active in faithfulness
Let there be no laziness in your love

Water—
Stay hydrated in forgiveness
Racing to be first to say: “I’m sorry”
Wash away yesterday’s offenses
Flow, not force
Your love, like water, takes the shape
of effort, breaking
down resistance

And above all, put your
Trust in God
Staying rooted in the Divine
Placing covenant above separation
Pray to keep it right
Praise when you’re confused
Plant your love in the soil of something higher than yourselves
With God in the middle
Two wholes become one

So you bring your whole
And I’ll bring mine
Let’s grow a love
nourished right—
That won’t just survive
It will thrive

---

Afterword: The inspiration for this poem is Newstart—a physician monitored, scientifically researched lifestyle change program based on eight fundamental principles proven to help us achieve optimum health: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God.

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In creative solidarity, Dee