Dear Marcus:
You are welcome. It is amazing, isn’t it, that when you reach out to people you trust to listen to you and comfort you- your aunt, your mother- how better you feel. You feel comforted, your worries (fears) relieved, your sadness uplifted. And then you reached out to a new person, and she also listened to you and comforted her. Keep reaching out to the individuals who have a good record in having listened to you and comforted you in the past, and the people who are building such a record. When you develop a romantic relationship in the future, I hope it will start with the same: she listening to you, really hearing you and comforting you in times of worries, as well as you doing the same. You already have experience in this, so a romantic relationship in its first steps of developing will not be something you are completely inexperienced with.I too like the small steps approach. When you feel worried and sad again- and you will- reach out and be comforted and again and again. Does anyone ever grow out of fear and the need to be comforted? I think not.
anita