In the counseling profession, therapists see a lot of relationships. New Years brings with it hopes for new relationships and also better relationships with family and friends. Sometimes there seems to be no hope for anything better. This could be called “In the Pursuit of Relationships.”

Some people think a relationship will never end, it is what they have had all their lives–why would it change? Some think that a relationship will last no matter what is done to another person. They find out the hard way that a single word or a single action can change everything, and sometimes they don’t even know what happened. Some people have learned, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names hurt most of all.”

People can be very sensitive, can handle just not one more thing, or perhaps there is just one misunderstood thing said that enhances the hurt a person already has experienced, possibly from other sources. It’s the “Icing on the cake.” Once a person is hurt, they stay that way until someone decides to make the first move towards a reconciliation, which sometimes doesn’t happen. There is no communication, and people take sides. More endurance. And it IS endurance. A person can get exhausted from this type of endurance, and the person finds no joy or comfort, just more anxiety.

If a person decides he or she wants changes, it only takes one person to make the first move, possibly some kind of action or note to let the other person know they are thinking some positive thoughts of them, possibly to just give it a chance. If it is that important to a person, and there is no danger involved, it might be worth the risk. Communication should never be underestimated in a relationship.