Appreciation

There are many different things that make any relationship work whether it's a friendship or a romantic relationship. Communication of course is the biggest thing that makes a relationship work, not just talking, but hearing and understanding. If one person doesn't hear or understand the other honestly how can the relationship make it a substantial amount of time? Trust, respect, and honesty of course are also things that help make a relationship work. Without those things any relationship is obviously doomed.

What is more important in a relationship: common interest or common issues? Common issues meaning understand the pains of struggling through life and having various different heartaches that many other people wouldn't understand. Common issues allow each person to not just understand but appreciate why each other are the way they are. We can see where each other came from and see how we can be so strong in various different ways or why we have the outlook on life that we do. Someone who doesn't have any "dis-function:" about them wouldn't understand why those of us who have struggled and had hardship think the way we do. It's important in a relationship to understand each other and see where we are coming from on the different issues that occur.

With common interests that just allows each person to be able to experience something new. I have never been to a pipe organ concert, but because Todd loves music and appreciates different types we went to one. I can honestly say it was a unique experience, but I highly enjoyed myself and I can see why he loves music. We decided music is poetry with notes instead of words. But back to the subject at hand...because he likes music and things dealing with it, i can experience things that I have never thought I would. I appreciate the things he likes more because I am learning about them from him.

I think when we learn something new from someone else it means much more and we can learn to appreciate those things more. I guess everything boils down to how much we appreciate each other and if we take things for granted or not. If one partner takes the other for granted and doesn't appreciate them..the relationship will never work no matter if it's a romantic one, friendship or even family.