Relationships are the people who shape our lives in a number of ways. Relationships include friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and even church members. They make up the social support network that is so important to our physical and mental health.
A healthy relationship is a team that fights against the barriers of life together, for each other’s goals and dreams. It is someone who makes you smile when you’re down, someone who understands you when you can’t even understand yourself, a partner who brings up the best in you, and a person who you can trust.
In addition to the love, respect and companionship that come with a romantic relationship, there are also benefits that can be derived from other types of relationships. For example, a non-romantic partnership with a co-worker or friend can provide emotional support and can help you feel like you’re not alone in the workplace or in life.
In fact, research has shown that people who have a variety of relationships, including friendships, work-related and familial ties, tend to be happier and healthier than those with fewer connections. So be sure to keep in touch with those you care about, and remember that relationships are not something that can be taken for granted. You have to work at them, just as you do any other aspect of your life. And if you don’t, chances are that you will wake up someday and realize you’ve lost your way, or worse, ended up with a stranger in the place of the people you once called your relationships.