Who Do You Become In Your Closest Relationships?

“I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.“

Roy Croft’s incredibly beautiful and profound poem goes on to describe one of the most loving and honest ways of relating that one can imagine.

Love in itself requires no particular guidelines or conditions to exist. But relationships are a different matter. They involve a mutual give and take that honours both person’s needs and boundaries while encouraging each one to blossom in the shelter of togetherness. No easy feat this. No wonder we often find ourselves struggling in our closest relationships.

We tend to make a handful of relationships ‘special’, with the mistaken belief that this particular person is responsible for our happiness. Ironically, however, as long as we believe this, undoubtedly, when they fail to co-operate and give us what we ask of them, these very same person/persons become the focus of our maximal anger and blame.