Relationships

Is there any thing more complicated than relationships?  They are vital to life itself and contribute to the survival of the human species.  I am noticing that as I become older, relationships aren't as easy for me to begin or maintain.  My tendency is towards being an introvert so I have always had just a handful of really good friends.  That is all I could handle because in my world, relationships must be deep.  I don't do casual friendships or small talk very well.  Now with aging and an energy level that is not up to youthful standards, my friend list has dwindled to about three.  Of course, I have my family that I love and care for deeply.  With the advent of grandchildren, those relationships have become more my focus.  

I have a handful of friends that I see maybe once or twice a year.  We mostly have history in common more than any thing current.  There are a couple of friendships that I consider strained and almost feel like some thing I carry around that should be let go.  

Romantic relationships are the most complicated of all.  They start out full of promise and giddiness.  Then you begin to add children, financial issues, fatigue, aging, sickness, etc, and things don't seem as rosy.  It is at this point that you have to let go of what was and work with what is.  When a couple can't shift and move on in growth together, that is when the deck of cards falls.  When I consider how difficult it is to maintain a relationship, it seems amazing that so many do survive.  In the past, couples were focused more on survival and children were necessary to help with that survival.  Now we have moved past that and have more expectations.  This adds to the difficulty of a relationship surviving when those expectations aren't met.  It seems that you really don't know a person until you have lived with them, and I have found that to be totally true.  

At this stage, I am happy with my small list of friends and my wonderful family.  I want to invest my time and energy in what I have instead of going out into the world looking for new friends.  I just don't feel like I need them.  It's great to have reached a stage where I can say that is okay and embrace the introvert that I am!

Thought for the day:  Relationship is an art. The dream that two people create is more difficult to master than one. ~Don Miguel Ruiz