Love means many things to different people. But what needs to be present in a relationship for you to truly be in love? For me it is Respect, loyalty, trust, intimacy, enjoying being in each others company and laughter

Had the opportunity to drive 200 miles r/t this morning and drop a friend to the airport for their 2+ weeks trip to France/Spain/England... original trip was cancelled during Covid... we I got back got to walk a neighbors dogs as they had a medical procedure under anesthesia this morning... and I got the opportunity to shower before I left this morning, and say my prayers... it feels so good, to be good, to self and others... seeking opportunities wherever I can. Tell me, what opportunities are you seeking to love on others and be of service?

The relationships your see online aren’t real. The highlight reels… The picture-perfect captions The curated smiles… They’re not real relationships. They’re presentations. And if you spend your life chasing what looks perfect, you’ll miss out on what’s actually real. Here’s the truth… Nobody is perfect. Not you, not them, not anyone. We’re all just humans; trying, failing, learning, and growing. So if you’re waiting for perfection, you’ll wait forever with a list of impossible expectations. A true relationship isn’t about finding someone flawless. A true relationship is about building something meaningful with a person who is imperfect… Imperfect but present. Someone who makes mistakes, while also standing by you when it’s hard, listening when you’re quiet, and not leaving when things get messy. Because at the end of the day, connection is always greater than perfection. A polished image might fade, but the person who knows your scars and still chooses to stay… That’s rare. And that’s real. So don’t throw away something meaningful just because it isn’t perfect. Sometimes the cracks are where the growth happens, where trust deepens, and where the real foundation is built. If you’re ever thinking about giving up, ask yourself: Is it truly broken? Or are you chasing an illusion? Remember, real relationships aren’t perfect… But they’re worth it.

So long story short- My dad and I have had a bit of an argument. Background: My dad is a generous person but has difficulty communicating (he expect people to mind read and gets frustrated when they don’t) When he does communicate to tell a story or something it can be difficult to follow as he goes into microscopic details not essential to the story and off on tangents and loses this thread and spends long periods trying to think of what he was trying to say. (He’s 74 - but has always been like this although has got worse with age) He has difficulty managing his emotions which can make him quite a prickly person to be around let’s say. The argument: the last time I saw him, the last time I texted him and then the last time I rang him he has been angry and rude to me. For example I sent him a message asking if everything was ok and his reply was “No… leave me alone!” So when he was rude to me again on a second phone call… I asked what is wrong? Every time I speak to you, you speak to me like I’m a piece of sh*t?” He said “well you always ring me when I’m busy and when I want to talk to you, you ignore me!’ I found out that basically I interrupted him when we were out for a meal on my sons birthday (which I did… my mind wandered and I said something but realised apologised and listened to the end of his story) Anyway he put the phone down on me after I asked if he was Pissed with me and he replied yes I am. Now my instinct is to just avoid him now… I find communication with him hard anyway he has an explosive temper over minor things and it is easier for me not to. However I do realise he is a man struggling to communicate his needs… what he really needed was to feel heard and being a more healed person I really should be the one to repair… especially as he does feel I wronged him… even though his behaviour since has been far worse then me Interrupting him… he doesn’t know how to communicate in any other way. So how do I have a conversation with him to make things right?

Hello all, Firstly, Thank you Ed, for the invitation. My name is Dianne and I am happy to be here. I am a 73 yr old mom of 5 adult children and 6 grandchildren. Being a semi-retired Interior Design Consultant while living in Portugal during the Pandemic, I decided to take advantage of the confinement and complete my Bachelor’s in the Principles & Methods of Teaching English and School Counselling. After which I began teaching on line. Looking for a way to deepen my understanding and skills around counselling and coaching is what lead me to the Expert Coach , the ECA, and was then privileged to really deepen my understanding of relationships (and myself) tutored by EdJC Smith in The RYD course. So much appreciation to Ed, for the value, understanding, the tools and insights. I am looking forward to exchanging thoughts and learning much in this community, working toward qualifying as a certified coach.