Constant Work

It doesn't matter what kind of relationship you have, a friendship, parent/child, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, they all require constant work. I was reminded (yet again) tonight why. Each person is different, and men and women operate very differently. One person may think that everything is fine, but the other may not. So you work at it, and you try to make sure that each person is happy in the relationship. Now that may hold true for romantic relationships more than others, but it can be applied to them all. Communication is the key to any healthy relationship, and it always becomes very clear when something is not communicated correctly.

The smallest thing can set a person off or defuse a situation. Having watched my parents sit down at least once a month for years and combine their calendars has given me an appreciation for making the time to let your partner know what is going on in your life. Because as much as we would like to be, people are not mind readers. It also means that you cannot assume that your partner knows what is happening with you.

There also becomes a time when your partner should become the first person who is told about things. The first phone call is to him/her, or at least the second after a parent. Friends become secondary on the need-to-know list and not the first to know. In this day and age it only takes a few seconds to send a message by texting, so keeping people informed is easier now than it has ever been. It all comes down to making the effort, or constantly working on your relationship. If the work is not put in, then it shows in the result. Relationships take constant work no matter what stage you are in, and the bulk of that work resides in communication.