Reflecting on Building Relationships

The image above was taken at my sister's wedding a couple summers ago. When I look at this picture and think back to that day, I can't help but be appreciative of the relationships I have with my family members. I think about my grandparents and how they cared for my cousins and I when we were young. We loved spending time with them. I think about our relationship near the end of my grandmother's life, when it became our turn to care for her. As my grandfather battles Alzheimer's, those that he supported for most of his life now provide care for him. Relationships are like that. Sometimes others provide you with support, and at other times, you must be the one to support them. It's not about repaying favors, it's about giving some of yourself to someone else. To me, meaningful relationships are built on warmth, trust, support, empathy, and fun.    

The relationships that I had with my family members at an early age have assisted me in building and maintaining positive relationships with others throughout my life. I have a baby nephew (pictured with me above and to the right), and I have every intention of providing him with love and support throughout his life.  Above and to the left, my girlfriend of four years and I trust and support each other. We've built a partnership. We also like to have fun (that's us in the lower left corner of the picture trying to pose at the right moment on a ride at Disneyland). . . We take walks and take turns talking and listening to what is going on with one another professionally, how we're feeling in our relationship with each other, and how things are going with the other important relationships in our lives. The photo below was taken after a nice stroll on the beach. 

Relationships take work to build into partnerships, but can be long-lasting and meaningful if we put effort into building and maintaining them.