It’s the start of July which means red, white, and blue everywhere. I mean I even found a pack of red, white, and blue skittles, how festive is that?!? And of course, lots of conversations about celebrating Independence Day and what that really means for so many different people. All very important and difficult conversations to say the least.

And as amazing as independence sounds, it can also be a tricky thing when it comes to relationships.

You see, so many of us have walked through life experiences that make it scary to rely on another, or when we have, it’s been used against us. So, we come out of those situations holding fiercely to the idea of our independence and almost believing that will keep us protected from ever being hurt again.

And I get the logic, believe me, I do. But unfortunately, it doesn’t usually play out the way one would hope. When you are so fiercely independent that you can’t or won’t rely on anyone else, even your partner, you will absolutely miss out on the opportunities to build trust or experience vulnerability. And that’s not partnership.

Your relationship ought to be a place where it’s safe to depend on one another. To ask for help and receive it. To agree upon expectations and have them followed through on. To lean in and be caught.

And that really is my encouragement to you this week…

Make it ok to depend on each other.

Do the work to loosen your grip on independence in order to make it safe to depend on one another.  Let your relationship work be one of healing and forgiving, so that you aren’t alone, even when you’re together.

Celebrate all the ways it’s safe to rely on each other in your relationship.

You got this!

-A

P.S. If the idea of depending on one another feels scary or overwhelming, please reach out. I’m here to support and guide the two of you in making it ok to depend on each other… again.