Reservoir of Love

Every relationship needs a reservoir of love, which partners can draw on to help them through the difficult times

This can manifest itself in different forms.

There is self-love, also known as self-acceptance, which enables each partner to think of themselves as loveable; not perfect, but good enough just the way they are.

There is the love that accumulates from little acts of kindness and consideration; given from the heart without transaction or expectation just because it feels good at the time.

There is the commitment love; knowing that you’re both in for the long haul…..to raise children, maybe, and mature and grow old together, having a shared, often unspoken, vision of the future.

There’s the intimacy love, which comes from shared moments of connection, sometimes sexual, of intense connection when making love together, sometimes in grief, mourning together and even sometimes in conflict, recognising the intensity of each other’s feelings and the futility of distancing argument; recognising the familiar distress in your partner’s tears, a reflection of your own inner turmoil.

All of these experiences fill the reservoir of love, which can be drawn on during difficult times and at the same time provide the stability needed to weather the storms, which are inevitable when we try to live, as the two flawed human beings that we are.