there is a cardinal rule of relationships

I think there is one cardinal rule of relationships.

Everyone involved has to want to make the relationship as good as it possibly can be.

Sure, sometimes there’s no easy answer for that.  Sometimes it absolutely cannot work at all.

But the rest of the time?

This horrifies me.  This whole post
is a response to that horror.

The rest of the time you can have that faith.  That assurance that the other person (or people) in the relationship are truly trying to make things better.

Then, you can give permission for honest mistakes.  Then you can consider that it really was a stupid mistake, or that it was an expression of love.  Then you can take that terrifying leap of faith.

Because you know everyone in the relationship wants it to be the best relationship it can be… even if they’re human and screw up.  Even if they screw up a lot.

But if you know – really know – that everyone involved is committed to making the relationship better, if they’re really doing their damnest to make things work the best they can…

…then things will eventually be okay.