Everyone Just Wants To Be Loved...

So I have always been fascinated by relationships. Primarily guy-girl relationships, but family relationships/friendships/etc as well. That is a large part of the reason I want to be a marriage and family therapist. The entire line of work is based around improving relationships.

I have had this interest ever since I was a little girl. I clearly remember all the imaginitive games I would make up to play (usually by myself since I had all brothers and for some reason they didn't want to play house and princess. I can't figure out why not...). My favorite part of my little games was creating the relationships between the characters. I always had the main character (me, of course) an established set of friends, family, and of course...romantic interest. I would do the same thing when I played with barbies, paper dolls, legos, etc. I always prefered the 'people' toys because I enjoyed giving each of them a personality and relationships. And I was always interested in the love stories or other relationship stories in the movies and books that I read. Not that there were a lot of them in my house, seeing as we were a very male dominated household. But, not to worry, one day when I was older I discovered chick flicks and I have been hooked since.... :)

I know that a lot of people do not understand the love that me and numerous other females have for chick flicks. I have heard the many complaints by guys. Most commonly heard.....'Chick flicks are so predictable. They are all the same: boy meets girl, they don't get along at first, boy and girl fall in love, there is a misunderstanding that threatens to ruin relationship, boy and girl overcome misunderstanding and live happily ever after.' I am not claiming that chick flicks are not predictable or similar in story line. However, as I have explained to many people...it is not the end of the movie that is so wonderful or unique... rather, it is the journey. The entire process of how the two people fall in love and overcome their differences and misunderstandings is what I love. It is not so much what happens, but how it happens. And every couple, both in real life and in movies, has their own unique journey and story.

So I guess that relationships are sort of always in the back of my mind. I have a tendency to watch and observe people in their interactions with other people. Just ask Brianne about the time we went to a basketball game together....She was watching the game and I was watching the people who were watching the game. I tried really heard to pay attention, but the people in the stands were so much more fascinating! I am a Behavioral Science major, I have an excuse.....right??

Anyways, relationships have been on my mind even more than usual recently for various reasons. First of all, I am taking a marriage/relationship class for my major, which is really interesting. Also, last night I was with a group of people and someone wanted advice on something with a girl so he told us the entire story of their dating and break-up. The story led to a discussion about relationships, etc. And then today, when I came home from school, my roommate was watching "27 Dresses." I love that movie and it always gets me thinking and talking about things. After the movie, we had a big discussion about the quality of the relationship in this movie and how two imperfect people are made better through their interactions with eachother. (Yes, our watching chick flicks together usually results in a big dicussion)

The best thing about relationsips...everyone has them. Whether you are a husband, girlfriend, sister, father, friend...they are all important. Some people claim to not want relationships because it opens you up to the possibility of getting hurt badly. There is no denying that. But I also know that it is worth all the risk and sacrifice. There is nothing better in the world than to love and be loved in return. I came across a line in the book for my marriage/relationship class that really stuck with me. It is particularly relevent now, at a time when people are doubting marriage and family and many other good things in the world:

"All the cynicism of the world cannot smother the fire that burns in each of us for connection at the deepest levels of our heart and soul."

On that note... :)