What I learned when I attended a workshop on relationships

A guest post.

We’ve all grown up assuming that our relationships with our friends, family, and romantic partners will be smooth. If two people love and care about each other, things between them are bound to be good, right? Except, not really. Even when there is love, care, and respect in a relationship, things can go awry. Seemingly reasonable people can exhibit unhealthy patterns; and then there are abusive relationships which can cause a lifetime of trauma. As fundamental as relationships are to our well-being and happiness, they can also be messy, difficult, and painful. We all struggle with relationships more often than we’d like to admit.