Commitment. Time. Ideas. Creativity. Fear. Frustration. Laziness. Trust. Affection. Communication. Ask. Share. Honesty. Selfish. Hurt. Love. Comfort. Happiness. Fulfillment. Satisfaction. Dissatisfaction. Continuity. Understanding. Blame. Awareness. Sight. Acceptance. Tolerance. Willingness to change. Adapt. Culture. Expectations. Disappointment. Growth. Change. Giving. Expressing. Absence. Self-consciousness. Silence. Embrace. Guilt. Language. Listen. Hear.
Questions that I ask myself occasionally:
Am I taking care of my relationships? Unfortunately, I’d say the answer is no, not as much as I should. Relationships are hard work, and I don’t feel like I put enough work in for what I get out of them. I recognize that I am a bit selfish and stingy, somewhat unwilling to change or accept what I can’t change. I need to listen more. And hear what is said. Really listen and hear. And give. Give everything I can, and not wait until tomorrow. Something I need to work on.
Which relationships do I need, and want, to nurture most? I want to nurture the relationship with my family most, and because I want to, I do. I spend a lot of time thinking about family and what we mean to each other, and how we can mean more to each other. But I need to nurture my other relationships better: my sisters, my friends back home. I’m not sure why I never call them, never text them, don’t check in on the important things often enough. Self absorption? Laziness? Or the thought that being so far away from everyone makes me invisible?
Which relationships do I miss most? Good friendships. My friends back home, the few I still see when we visit. My sisters. My nieces - my kids’ cousins. I wish we weren’t so far apart. I crave a big, extended family. I miss just hanging out or chatting over coffee with friends. Craft or game nights. Discussing a book with girlfriends. Andrés and I have a lot in common, but this is one area where he isn’t as interested as I am.
Which relationships am I happiest about? My family. My husband (this needs more work, as any relationship of this kind does, but I feel good about us in the long run). My boys. I really love my family and love spending time with them. I feel like I do a good job of showing my feelings, keeping us close and connected.
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