Just like marriage, any good relationships in your life are going to take work and attention. There are going to be times when you have argument with friends and family and you are not going to know what to do about the damaged relationship. Even those that you love the most can find ways to hurt you, though they are often in so much pain at the time they do not realize what they are doing to you. You can work to make your good relationship great once again if you really value what that person brings into your life.
Good relationships do not have to be ones that have always been perfect. In fact, some of the closest ones are the ones that have had and then recovered from some problems. A friend is worth more than what they can do for you. What you do for them is just as important. When you truly care for a friend, you give to each other in more ways than you probably realize. When a huge problem occurs, you will instinctively know if you think it was a relationship worth saving. If it was worth it, you will know what to do.
Good relationships go through bad times, usually when one person in the relationship is having personal problems. Usually, their pain or problem is so overwhelming to them that they do not know what to do about it and you may get the brunt of their pain. Remember, people often lash out at those that they love the most because they know they will be there for them no matter what. There is some truth to the saying that we hurt the ones we love the most. Good relationships recover and others dissolve, which is always for the best.
Good relationships with your parents or your children are even more important than the ones that you have with your friends. Friends are important, but they are not your family. If you do not have good relationships with those that made you, or with the ones that you made, this can do a lot of damage to your life. It causes issues that you can not even imagine. You may not feel secure, or you may feel like a total failure. That can follow you throughout life. Take time to nurture these relationships as they are the most important you will ever have, other than the one you have with your spouse.
What happens when good relationships all of the sudden turn sour and you feel as if you do not want to repair it? That is when you should look back to decide if a good relationship was really as good as you thought it was. At times, people fill a need at a specific time, but the friendship was never meant to last very long. Some friends are for life, but not all. It is a tough lesson to learn, but once you know the difference, holding on to good relationships and letting go of the bad will make you a much happier and fulfilled person.