As we all know, relationships are extremely hard especially if you work at them. Yes, that’s right, I said they are hard when you work at/on them. Why? Because it is easier to walk away, it is easier to ignore or deny, and it is easier to pretend everything is okay. Working on your relationships, whether it’s with a life partner, family, friend, co-worker, etc., can be even more difficult if the other person does not reciprocate your intentions or actions to make it work. In the eight or so years, I’ve been with my husband, our relationship has been through a lot of trial and tribulations, and I don’t say that to make a dramatic effort. Rather I say it because we have been through some really ugly arguments where we have said things to hurt the other and we’ve have slammed doors, broken plates and thrown a few things (never made physical contact). It is not fun confronting your deepest fear of hearing and accepting the truths of your individual personality, your faults and pains of your past. It is not fun having to admit you are sorry and you should not have said or did those things. It is not fun telling your partner his faults. Plain and simple: the truth hurts BUT as they say, it will set you free. In the case of our relationship, truths have only gotten us to a point where our relationship is beautiful, respectful, loving and in a working state, and our “discussions” only last five to ten minutes. Seriously!  We take more deep breaths and we accept what the other person says and we contemplate our words to make ourselves better people than we were five or ten minutes ago. Because the next time one of us gets irate about something, we will remember our last disagreement and act accordingly.

Relationships are hard but they are so much more fun when we understand that we need to talk and work things out. I so love being in a relationship with my husband because he is a gentle giant with a giant loving heart. He is very good to me and I try to be just as good to him.

I dare you to contemplate your relationships with people and see how you can improve yourself by taking deep breaths and not being afraid to take any sort of criticism. It may hurt but how you handle yourself in situations will only make you a stronger and better person.