Emotionally available?

This is a kind of catch-phrase I heard first from my therapist, and later from Delilah on the radio. Current relationship common sense seems to question first whether one is inadvertently searching for someone who is emotionally unavailable. What if you cannot tell from the start? What if the person puts their game face on, their best foot forward, and disguises his complete inability to commit to a relationship?

Nevertheless, the optimist inside me still believes there may exist more concrete signals of being emotionally available. What of the person who begins to include you in his plans from the start? She or he holds your hand as you walk through the restaurant looking for the table. She introduces you to her friends and enthusiastically spends time with yours. He asks probing questions about your family and hugs you during the sad parts.

This person might actually be available. Now the task is to remain that way yourself: be present, be aware, and .... show up.