Rethinking our partner wishlists. Is it "settling" or adjusting to reality?

[Vivacious1]

I think this is an interesting thread. For myself, I don't thing the changes in preferences for my partner's is settling or adjusting to reality, I think it is me maturing. I can honestly say that I have been with partners that I felt were my "ideal" in one way or the other. Whether it be looks, financial stability, security etc... What has naturally evolved for me goes back to a statement that someone shared with me a long time ago. "I want someone to witness my life" This made me think before, however, until I began to be more mature and think about what life really meant to me, I seemed to be stuck in a pattern of "following an American Dream" that turned out to be fairly generic. I believe that we have each of our partner's for a reason, if we are wise we will learn something from each of them and keep our regrets to a minimum. I certainly have made my mistakes, but without those I would not have learned to be the woman that I am and I certainly would not have the ability to make the right decisions for my future.
I don't have a list any longer, it is either right or wrong, there is no in between.