Personal Responsibility...

     As I dove head first into this relationship, I did so knowing a few things to be true.  I feel that YOU, as the better half in a relationship, take on a personal responsibility when YOU decide to be in an intimate relationship.  Intimate is not only sexually but most importantly, emotionally intangled in the others inner thoughts and dreams for the future.  There are no laws or contracts but, if YOU are responsible, respectable and morally sound, YOU know this to be true.  The way some people treat their better half, there should be laws to convict them for breaking someone down to the point of destroying their inner self.  Maybe that would eliminate some of the " I do whatever I want" negative attitudes out there since some people don't have common courtesy and respect.  YOU should know that when YOU take on a personal relationship, that YOU take on personal responsibility.  For instance, let's say that I took my girlfriend out on a date.  We walk towards an attractive woman and as we are passing by, I grab her ass.  Now there's no law against me doing that (to my girlfriend anyway); however, I take on personal responsibility for my girlfriend's feelings and heart when I make her mine.  I know that grabbing that woman will hurt her greatly because her heart is linked to mine.  In other words, doing things that YOU KNOW will hurt that "special" someone, emotionally and definitely physically, is wrong and YOU should take personal responsibility for our actions.  At the highest level of relationships, a marriage, vows have been put in place in the ceremony as a reminder.  I will love and honor you and have nobody else before you.  That's your responsibility.  Now there are different levels of responsibility depending on how much has been vested in the relationship.  An emotional and sexual and spiritual bond should be honored and cherished at all times.  YOU have a responsibility!  Just because YOU say I'm not responsible, doesn't make it true.  In YOUR heart of hearts, if YOU have one, YOU know what's wrong.  A good test is to see how YOU feel when YOUR significant other belittles or ignores what YOU say or wish or just down right disrespects YOU.  Did their actions have a direct effect on YOUR mood and emotions?  Of course they did.  Why do YOU feel that YOU can reap the benefits of a good relationship without contributing anything positive?  A good relationship requires some key ingredients: mutual respect for each other and each others feelings, honesty on both ends at ALL times, not only telling but showing genuine affection, and doing the simple things to keep everything together.  You will never have the same attributes in a different relationship because different people would be involved.  When you capture something special you should cherish and respect it because when it's gone, it's gone!