There are a ton of things in this world that I am grateful for, but I think it’s pretty much a “duh” statement when I say that I appreciate relationships the most.  The relationship I’ve been blessed to have with my parents is by far the most important I’ve ever had. Not only did they bring me into this world, but they have taught me the founding tenants that I live my life with and I tell everyone about them every chance I get (working to be an individual before my wheelchair, knowing that I can do anything I want, I just have to do it differently…).

The relationships I have with my two older siblings have taught me the foundation of working through relationships, developing, and loving someone else unconditionally.  Every relationship I’ve had with a mentor has taught me how to support each other mutually and how to best leverage others knowledge through working together, and allowing others to do the same for you.

Each relationship I’ve had with a significant other has taught me monumental lessons in life, most of which are too personal to disclose here…

 

But, overall, I’m so appreciative for how each of those relationships have helped me arrive at the person that I am today.

If you read the tab (at the top of the page) titled “why a blog?” you’ll see that the point of this blog is to be a personal journal for me.  I post things that I want to share with others but also want to be archived, forever (well, until WordPress ever crashes) and that I can go back and look at whenever I want.

That’s why I’m posting the below image – it was the impetus behind this post, overall.

Kristin sent it to me the other day I didn’t ask her permission before posting it (whups) but it really resonated with me and has been sitting on my desktop ever since. It’s from one of our favorite blogs, Just Little Things.

By no means do I ever wish to portray our relationship as “perfect.” But the lens with which I view our relationship and our interactions has changed since November 25th, 2012.  Almost losing someone you’re in love with to a near-fatal accident really gives you a new perspective – or at least it did for me.

Things that used to be annoying don’t matter as much.  Arguments that used to be emotional stressors are now conversations that help both of us grow. And I can’t even begin to count how many times in the last two weeks, since she’s been back home, I’ve been able to look over at Kristin as she exists in our home and realize how close she was to not being here anymore and we would have never, ever shared that moment again.

Moments like those become even more perfect and with more ease when you realize how close life was to that moment never happening again.  And then you reach over, tell that person that you love them with a kiss, and remind yourself of how appreciative you should be – how appreciative you ARE.

I encourage everyone I interact with, now, even more than before to never leave an interaction with someone you love in a grumpy, upset way. This was actually a rule that a high school girlfriend and I followed when we dated. It’s definitely stuck because it means a lot. Working to build meaningful, developmental, and constructive relationships is one of my biggest priorities in life.  AGAIN, I’m not perfect – even in Kristin and I’s relationship, over the past 2 years and some change, I’ve had many of slip ups that I’m not proud of, but I don’t regret them – I do my best to learn from any mistakes (and I’m thankful that she agrees).  I think that’s what relationships are for, though; not for getting along 100% of the time, but for butting heads, pushing the other to be better, learning from each other, compromising, meeting in the middle. 

Maybe before there is no longer an “us” – if that ever happens – we’ll arrive at some perfect understanding of that. Doubt it. But we can keep trying! :)

Thanks for teaching me that, KH.