Healthy relationships are not left to chance. They aren’t accidental, decided by destiny, nor because you are ‘right for each other’. It’s not even because you are ‘compatible’. All of these things matter (and I could go on for hours about the ‘chance’ aspect in the birth of my own significant relationship), but what really matters is what you do and how you behave towards each other.
Healthy relationships are made and maintained. Many break down because the partners either don’t understand this, or they can’t be bothered, or they think it is up to the other person to do all the work.
Nothing should be taken for granted in a healthy relationship. They are what keep us vibrant and healthy, give meaning and direction to our lives, and complete our identity. Yet much or our time we neglect our relationships.
Perversely, we often put more effort into fostering casual or business relationships than we do helping those with our nearest and dearest to thrive.
Healthy relationships need maintenance. We need to nurture them and care for them if they are to flourish and sustain us. The time to put the effort in is all the time, not wait until they are broken to fix them.
