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July 2009 
What have you been thinking about recently?
Posted on Feb 3rd, 2008
by 
Katrina
Katrina
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for February 02, 2008:
Relationships... I've thought a lot about them lately because there are so many kinds. In different relationships I am different things - daughter, sister, friend, co-worker, godmother, teacher, coach, neighbor, lover, peacemaker, powerful woman, vulnerable little girl, student, healer... And the list goes on.
I think there is something to learn in each relationship that I have in my life. I am very blessed to have so many healthy, loving, caring, beautiful relationships and each and every one teaches me a little bit more about myself. I have grown more in the past 5 years of my life through these relationships than I have in the previous 40 years. What a gift!!!
But I still become baffled when a relationship goes astray. In those cases, no amount of love, tenderness or caring make it "good." Of course I learn something there as well when I am able to put enough distance between me and the situation. But, for me there is still a sense of pain, loss and sorrow when I/we can't make it work.
The good news in my mind is that relationships never end. They change, they shift, they move, but ultimately they are still always there. The definition around the relationship may take on a different meaning. The amount of contact and/or communication you have with that person may increase or decrease. But once you have touched another soul, you can never take that away. You are connected forever even if it is just through memories.
I thank God for bringing so many incredible people into my life. Each and every one is a blessing and a chance for me to live life from a deeper place. I hope that I am able to give back even a portion of what I receive. And I look forward to even more incredibly wonderful people sharing my world with me. I celebrate new relationships, I celebrate old relationships and I send peace to those who chose to stay as well as those who chose to go. You have all taught me about myself and I am grateful.
I think there is something to learn in each relationship that I have in my life. I am very blessed to have so many healthy, loving, caring, beautiful relationships and each and every one teaches me a little bit more about myself. I have grown more in the past 5 years of my life through these relationships than I have in the previous 40 years. What a gift!!!
But I still become baffled when a relationship goes astray. In those cases, no amount of love, tenderness or caring make it "good." Of course I learn something there as well when I am able to put enough distance between me and the situation. But, for me there is still a sense of pain, loss and sorrow when I/we can't make it work.
The good news in my mind is that relationships never end. They change, they shift, they move, but ultimately they are still always there. The definition around the relationship may take on a different meaning. The amount of contact and/or communication you have with that person may increase or decrease. But once you have touched another soul, you can never take that away. You are connected forever even if it is just through memories.
I thank God for bringing so many incredible people into my life. Each and every one is a blessing and a chance for me to live life from a deeper place. I hope that I am able to give back even a portion of what I receive. And I look forward to even more incredibly wonderful people sharing my world with me. I celebrate new relationships, I celebrate old relationships and I send peace to those who chose to stay as well as those who chose to go. You have all taught me about myself and I am grateful.
Access: Public
There was a time when I thought I’d write a book about relationships. It was writing itself in my mind.
And then I thought it would take forever to write.
Now I see that you have expressed so succintly, a lot about what was in my mind.
I now think about the connections we make; even the short ones e.g. like when you pass someone by…
What a great blog Katrina! Thanks for tying it all together . . .
Thank you for the clarity of your thoughts about relationships. These have made me think and be grateful for the diverse relationships I have now and have had earlier. Like you I thank everyone (myself too and all of nature) for all these relationships that have helped me grow and evolve into what I am now and will be in the future.
Amen Katrina. Peace & Blessings. Praise Life Ricky D.
Thank you all for your beautiful and encouraging words. Meenakshi - I would love to read more about your feelings on relationships, even the really “short” ones. I hope you write that book. CE/Snake - You are such a dear friend. I thank you. Mila - Thank you for reminding me that we need to maintain our relationship with ourselves as a sacred space as well. Ricky - It's nice having you back from your travels. I am grateful for your presence.
Let's make every relationship a perfect one today however it shows up in our lives : )
In Buddhism, there is a term “inter-dependant origination.” I know this is a slightly cock-eyed reply regarding relationships. But in a sense, I think it's still apropos. The Buddhist idea is that there is no “self,” only a complex of relationships. For one thing, that sheds light on the way we are different people, depending on the relationship. Besides people, we also have relationships to plants and animals, ecosystems, activities and ideas. For instance, we can be different people regarding our relationship to poverty in Africa, rock climbing, wine, unions, US debt, dog training, etc. Our relationship to each of these things, and each person in our life makes up the complex of our “self” which configures it for its unique expression in relationship to each of the other “selves,” or nouns or verbs.