RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION

You can kiss your family and friends good-bye 

and put miles between you,

but at the same time you carry them with you 

in your heart, your mind, your stomach,

because you do not just live in a world

but a world lives in you.  

~Frederick Buechner.

Relationships and ongoing partnerships are important to me because as a human being there is that fundamental need for love and acceptance.  Material things cannot satisfy that need nor replace the importance of having meaningful connections with other humans.   With a friendship, one can weather any storm that life presents.   A joyful moment becomes a momentous celebration in the presence of good friends.  The fear of the unknown and what the future holds becomes something that can be conquered when close friends are around.

When I consider positive relationships, my first thought is of family and my mother.  My mother has always been a source of continued encouragement.  Her advice is always tried and true and she is my sounding board when the world is chaotic.   The current nature of this relationship was not in existence at all times and has been developed over years of interactions and constant perfecting.   To maintain it, we work hard to communicate with each other and not just “talk”.  We respect each other and above all else, we love each other.

After family, there comes friends.  There are so many that can be named, but when I think of positive relationships there are a couple that jump to mind – the Royals and the Alerts.  We have been friends for many years, some since high school, others since university.   However, our relationships have taken a turn for the better in more recent years, as a result of our deliberate attempts to build long-lasting friendships based on mutual trust, love and respect and a love for God.   By exposing ourselves – our thoughts, motivations, wishes, wants, future hopes, fears, disappointments and by holding each other accountability to our beliefs, we have built bonds through time.

The relationships and partnerships mentioned above were not built over night and were not built with ease.  A lot of hard work, sweat and sometimes tears, was put into the process.  You may not think that the presence of tears is a sign of a positive relationship but I believe that it is a sign that much attention and detail has been put into something which cannot be taken lightly.  So when one’s feelings are hurt, they are really hurt.   Time, distance, school, work, family and other commitments can sometimes prove to be stumbling blocks to the building of a relationship, but if the foundation is built accurately, the structure will stand the test of time.

No man is an island,

No man stands alone,

Each man's joy is joy to me,

Each man's grief is my own.

We need one another,

So I will defend,

Each man as my brother,

Each man as my friend.

I saw the people gather,

I heard the music start,

The song that they were singing,

Is ringing in my heart.

No man is an island,

Way out in the blue,

We all look to the one above,

For our strength to renew.

When I help my brother,

Then I know that I,

Plant the seed of friendship,

That will never die.

© Artist(Band):Joan Baez