Day In, Day Out
I have discovered the ultimate teacher in life. It's been there all along, but I've just recently realized it. It doesn't cost thousands of dollars in tuition money or deliver countless lectures or impart its knowledge within the confines of classroom walls.
The ultimate teacher comes at the cost of taking a risk, putting yourself out there and allowing your heart to get smashed, shattered and stolen.
The teacher I'm talking about is none other than relationships.
We've all had relationships in some form or fashion throughout our entire lives. We've had relationships with our parents, our siblings, our friends and of course, our significant others. But no matter what, each relationship teaches us something and, hopefully, leaves us a little bit better person than it found us.
Although they can be trying, confusing and demanding, relationships can also be completely wonderful and completely rewarding. They can make us giddy and smiley and they can teach us important things that will carry us throughout our whole life.
Each relationship leaves an imprint on our life, whether positive or negative, and helps to make us the person we are today. From our mistakes we learn what not to do next time and how to improve certain weaknesses. But we also learn the necessary components that make the special bond between two individuals work.
Relationships teach us how vital communication is to survival. You have to learn to express your thoughts, feelings and fears. You must be able to talk about any problems that arise so you can work through them and continue to grow. You have to be able to share your emotions so the other person isn't left wondering how you feel.
Relationships teach us to be understanding. You have to realize that not everyone views the world as you do. People can come at the same situation from all sorts of angles. You have to learn to step into the other person's shoes for awhile and see where they are coming from, too.
We learn to be flexible and adjust to make some one else happy. You learn to give a little on your end, while they give a little on their end to compromise and make things work for the best for both of you.
We learn to take risks. The minute we start to like someone, we take a risk. You risk liking him more than he will like you. You risk him liking you more than you like him. You risk getting hurt or being the one to hurt someone. In a relationship, we allow ourselves to become vulnerable. We allow ourselves to experience new emotions, new feelings and new events that wouldn't have been possible if we hadn't taken the chance to see where it would go.
We get to know who we are through relationships. We learn what we value, where we stand on certain issues and what we want out of life. We begin to discover things that would never have been possible if someone hadn't forced us to open ourselves up.
Relationships teach us how to be caring, compassionate and selfless. We begin to think in terms of us and we instead of I and me. We begin to wonder what we can do to make him smile or to ensure that she's really and truly happy.
Relationships also teach us to be strong. You have to stand up for yourself and let your other half know when they have overstepped their bounds and hurt you. You have to be strong enough to stand by your convictions even if your mate doesn't agree. And when the relationship is over, you learn to find strength within yourself to pick up and move on. You learn that you can be complete without someone else and that in time, you will find love again.
Finally, we experience elation and heartache. Relationships enable us to wake up each morning and have a smile on our face before our feet even touch the floor. Relationships make you aware of how lucky you are to be a part of another's life. You realize how lucky you are to have someone there to call when you need help, to wipe your tears when you can't stop crying and to simply hug you at the end of the day.
- Take a risk already and send Kimberly an e-mail at kh307401@ohiou.edu
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