Loving Relationships: The Gift that Truly Keeps On Giving: the Gift of Safe Harbor

No matter how positive our outlook, there are times when it just feels that the world is our enemy, or at the very least, not our friend. Between job-related pressures, financial challenges, family dynamics, and any number of internal "issues" we may be facing, sometimes, every one of us feels the need to run away, tuck our heads under the covers, or otherwise just escape from the details of our lives.

It is at these times, when our greatest need is for a shelter against the world, that the one person most dear to us becomes even more dear. And despite the eighties' aversion to anything resembling codependency, we long for a safe place, wrapped in the arms - and the love - of the person whom we most fully trust and cherish. Being aware of that need in ourselves, we are reminded that our loved ones need that same safe harbor, too.

It is the most cherished gift we can ever give, and the one we will appreciate above all others. And isn't it delightful that the experience of being that shelter for our beloved is one of the sweetest gifts we can give ourselves, as well? This is just one of the gifts of a loving relationship, and it is a gift can make anyone's life seem abundant in all the ways that count. Having someone to share all of the things in your life - your joy and sadness, your worries and your giddy excitement - is "free," but priceless.

Having someone to lean on when times are tough; someone who encourages you and believes in you when you are feeling down; someone who is there to lift your spirits or give you a shoulder to cry on; someone you can count on no matter what - these are priceless too. Being all of that for someone else is an equally precious gift.

Copyright © 2008 by Leah Schwartz, Ph.D. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute this newsletter so long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the author is attached.