I know about this because of my own experiences.  I met a man who gave me the same type of kindness as in this quote and that kindness was the catalyst for me to leave my own abusive marriage.  However, I most certainly was not rescued by this man, in fact his kindness had ulterior motives which I was blind to (at first).  Although I had liberated myself from my abusive marriage, my time of growth in developing my self-esteem and emotional independence within a relationship had only just begun.  The problem was that I had never been treated so well by a man before and I believed he was the only man who could make me feel so good about myself.  I became emotionally dependent on him and his kindness, and thus became trapped in yet another relationship.  I simply hadn't matured enough to become emotionally independent nor had I developed the self-esteem I needed to have a healthy, joyful and mutually loving relationship.

I was forced to grow while in this situation, whether I liked it or not - and trust me, I didn't like it at the time.  This was an incredible time of awakening for me and yet I still felt trapped by my feelings for this man.  I had a very difficult time finding peace.  My heart and mind were conflicting with each other constantly.  It was one of the most challenging periods of my life - at least in my abusive marriage I was numb from sleepwalking through it.  Ignorance was bliss for me back then. 

I felt like an addict going through detoxification - and in a way I was.  Everything that I knew about being in a relationship was being purged - not just the emotional dependency.  My entire belief system, patterns, and conditioning were uprooted and new ones were replanted.  It was tough, but I finally emerged with unshakable self-esteem, emotional independence, and a new desire for a truly healthy, joyful, and mutually loving relationship with the love of my life.  Which, by the way, I did find.  Victory is mine!

Whether you are a man or a woman, whether you are in an abusive relationship or not, emotional independence and healthy self-esteem are absolutely necessary to experience an amazing relationship with the love of your life.  Having those two things make you whole.  To experience the ultimate relationship, each of you must first become whole as individuals.  Two halves do not make a whole in this case.  But two "wholes" do make for one powerful and amazing relationship! 

We weren't born whole.  We are here to unlock our infinite potential to become whole for our own joy and to realize the ultimate relationship.  Everyone gets emotionally dependent within a relationship sometimes.  After all, it started at birth with our mothers and fathers.   As long as you understand that any type of dependency within a relationship is an opportunity to develop wholeness and you take action on that, all is well.  Strive for excellence in yourself first and relationship second, and you will emerge victorious as well.