Featured Writer

Anika Logan is a writer of short stories, poetry, personal essays and articles on the craft of writing. Her work has appeared extensively over the Internet.

Read her article on finding room for love, and read her poem on a similar theme. 

Her work has been featured at Absolutewrite, Donard Publishing, Heartwarmers,Widethinker and Every Writer. In June 2003 a non-fiction story of hers, A Lighted Fog, was published in Haunted Encounters Real-Life Stories of Supernatural Experiences. Anika's first book, a collection of short stories titled, The Truth of Me (And Other Stories) was published in July 2003 by Lulu Press
(www.lulu.com/anika).

To learn more about Anika's work visit her website at www.authorsden.com/anikalogan.

Room For Two
By Anika Logan

It is not a difficult thing to make room in our hearts for a new person. I honestly believe that our hearts have an amazing capacity to accommodate as many people
as possible. We can have many family members, many friends, and still have plenty of room left over for that special someone. The difficult part lies in making room for someone new in our “life.” This is the area in which the problem of "room" really lies.

Both individuals in the budding relationship already come equiped with their own unique schedules as well as their own set of responsibilities and obligations.
Jobs, family commitments, friends, hobbies, we all have them but learning to have them co-exist harmoniously with the previously established elements of our life can be tricky.

Whenever we meet a potential love interest naturally we need to spend time with him/her in order to develop a lasting bond. Without time invested in one other, the most promising of beginnings can lead nowhere.

Case in point, my good friend Megan. Megan found herself faced with such a dilemma when she met Jonathan in spring 2002.

They hit it off instantly, the sparks flew and Megan felt very hopeful. Jonathan was wonderful to her and everything in his words and actions communicated that
he wanted her to be a part of his life. She felt the same way. They enjoyed spending time together and Megan felt sure that he would go the distance with
her. I had never seen her laugh and smile as much as she did after she met Jonathan.

But soon they had to cope with the first obstacle that presented itself to their developing romance. Megan lived in the city and Jonathan lived in a smaller town two hours away. Both of them had unusual work schedules that were not very conducive to having a
regular social life and Megan sometimes had only one day off a week instead of two. It was discouraging for them both.

Juggling the odd work schedules and the distance proved draining on their energy levels at times not to mention their nerves, but neither of them let this deter them from their mutual goal- being in each others lives. Megan cared about Jonathan and Jonathan
cared about Megan. Nothing else mattered so they took steps to make it work.

Over lunch one day Megan told me that neither of them was willing to cave into a problem that was really just a matter of minor inconvenience. Lots of couples
have to deal with worse, she reasoned. Quite right.

It was bumpy for awhile, no doubt about it. They did not manage to see one another as often as couples living near each other would or as often as they would
have liked but they did okay.

Megan told me,"We value our time whether it is an afternoon we have together or a week's vacation. It doesn't matter what we are doing- having a cup of tea,
taking a walk in the park, sitting out on his deck watching the sunset, or lying in bed. It's all good and it is all precious. We just love being together."

It has been over a year now. They are still going strong and still living in separate locations. They are making things work to the best of their abilities. I am so happy for both of them.

What Megan does not yet know is that her life is about to change again only this time it is going to be even bigger and even better. Jonathan is planning to
propose to her on her birthday this coming August fifth. I know because he asked me for some suggestions about engagement rings.

I have seen the ring and it is beautiful. It is perfect for Megan and I know she is going to love it. I can hardly contain myself keeping this secret from my closest friend but I must. It is killing me and I fear that I will burst at the seams but this is Jonathan's surprise and I don't want to spoil it. Raining on someone else's parade is not my style.

I too have been faced with the same dilemma. Making room in my heart for a new man was the easiest thing ever but making room for him in my day-to-day life,
well… it took work and effort and yes, a great deal of energy and patience. It also required a lot of organizing and re-organizing and juggling (I've become
quite good at juggling!). Sometimes it is necessary to learn to eliminate things that are not as paramount in ones life. Learning to prioritize and compromise is essential if you want to find the room in your life for love to grow and flourish regardless of the type
of circumstances the relationship is up against.

I am pleased to report that Megan is not the only one who has made the "room" in her life for a special someone. I have too- and life couldn't be better.

My boyfriend Trey and I are both committed to one another and to the bond we have created between us. We are here to stay. So are Megan and Jonathan. The way
things are looking right now, Megan's wedding will not be the only one in my future. Hoorah!

To sum up, making room in a heart for love to enter in is only the beginning, and the easy part, of the whole equation. The real work begins with making room in an already bustling life for the conflicts of time, distance, work constraints, family obligations, etc.
If both people value the relationship enough they will make due, recognizing the obstacles AND the potential that is in front of them. Only then can the relationship move forward in an upwardly mobile direction.



I Look For You
By Anika Logan

I look for you
In every car that passes by

I look for you
In every face that I see
At the shopping mall

I look for you
In every love song
That I hear on the radio

I look for you
In every ring of the telephone

I look for you
In every tick of the clock

I look for you
In every breath that I breathe

I look for you
In every beat of my heart

I look for you