Photo by Stillness InMotion on Unsplash

The battles of life should be the laundry, dishes, and what to make for dinner.

They shouldn’t be the yelling of words like

“I hate you.”

“You are so stupid.”

“Why are you treating me this way?”

For a relationship to succeed,
both people need to have a vested interest in treating each other with respect.

Once the words have been said,
(Even if “Sorry” follows)
they still bounce around in your head.

They will pop up at the most random times, casting doubt.
“Did they really mean it?”

You may love someone with all your heart, yet if you don’t respect them or have a vested interest in your relationship succeeding, then you are not creating a solid foundation.

A perfect relationship doesn’t exist, fights will happen, misunderstandings will happen, and the ability to compromise must happen.

Yet repeatedly slinging -

“You are stupid”

“I don’t fucking love you”

“Get the fuck out”

“I hate you,”

Is a sure sign that multiple battles are being waged.

A battle with yourself
A battle in your relationship

And, most importantly,

You are fighting a losing battle of showing respect.

— Nicole Barden 3/22/2021

Originally published in Illumination on Medium