Things my parents taught me about relationships

There is no doubt that parents are our first teachers. We grow up learning from them, and observing how they handle every day situations. Whether it is how they treat their spouse, the way they handle arguments, share the household chores or deal with good and bad days in their marriage, we all certainly learn something from their relationship, don’t we? We asked five people from different walks of life to share the most important relationship lesson they have learnt from their parents. Here are their insightful answers…

“My parents belong to different religions and had a love marriage. Even before they got married, our relative raised their eyebrows and opined that their different religious backgrounds would always be a bone of contention in their relationship. But they have been married for 31 years now, and have proved all of them wrong. I have grown up seeing them practice their own religions and respecting each other’s religious beliefs. Their love is not defined or dependent on caste, creed, and that is one of the strongest points of their companionship.”

“My parents have made me realise that love lies in little gestures we make for our partner in everyday life. For instance, no matter how late my father returns from office, my mother waits for him and they have dinner together every day. When she is unwell, my father gets up before her in the morning and takes over all the household chores. And on special occasions, they both take off from their workplace and spend quality time with each other.”

“Relationships are no less than a labyrinth and require a lot of hard work. In fact, no relationship is perfect from day one, and both the partners need to constantly make efforts to make it work. I have seen my parents fighting and arguing over things, but at the end of the day, they have always smiled, learnt from their mistakes and moved on. Is not that what makes an ideal relationship?”

“My parents have made me realise the importance of a healthy relationship and a beautiful family. We all need someone in our life on whose shoulder you can lean on. Someone with whom we can share our vulnerabilities, insecurities and weirdness, and be assured that the person still loves us unconditionally. We all need a family to have reason to return home, and be content in life.”

“Recently, on my grand parents’ 50th marriage anniversary, we asked them the secret of their successful marriage and they replied ‘respect, patience and adjustment’. My grandfather opined that life keeps on throwing challenges in every relationship and you can only sail your boat if both of you have these traits. You need to be a good team player, and should not mind doing extra work in case the other player is unable to do it.”