There is a profound difference between missing someone out of loneliness and missing someone out of joy. Loneliness seeks comfort. Joy seeks connection.
When you truly love someone, they become the first person you want to share your wins with — the promotion, the random funny moment, the sunset, the small victory no one else would understand. That instinct reveals emotional intimacy at its highest level. It means the relationship is not built on dependency, but on friendship.
Psychologically, the desire to share positive experiences with someone is called capitalization — and research shows it strengthens relational bonds more than simply seeking support during hardship. Healthy attachment is not only about who holds you when you’re breaking. It’s about who you instinctively reach for when you’re glowing.
Many people confuse attachment with need. But the deepest love is not “I can’t survive without you.” It’s “Life is beautiful, and I want you beside me while I live it.”
If you miss someone most when you’re thriving — that’s not weakness. That’s emotional depth.
And if someone once held that space in your life, honor what that meant. It says something powerful about your capacity to connect.
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