Relationships: The Brackets and Impact!

Bouncing between the comfort, confidence, and cheer of being with someone with whom you feel connected, that secured feeling of affection, respect, and support, and the everlasting trust of communication; being in a relationship is certainly life-enriching! However, that connection you share with the person is probably not the same as everyone else’s. So, how does it work? Do all relationships look the same or do they differ in dynamics?

Be it family or friends, romantic partners or acquaintances, online interaction, long-distance communication, or consistent face-to-face connection; anything and everything within and beyond the spectrum may define the dynamics of a relationship, putting it in a particular bracket for easier understanding of this essentially unique human experience. How do we set these brackets then? Which titles fall in the range?

From the bygone days of relationship status being categorized into ‘single’, ‘married’, or ‘divorced’, to the current era where there are innumerable definitions and variations of determining the equation between two people who share a bond; ‘being in a relationship’ has no standalone universal definition anymore. Encompassing a massive variety of human connections, including both romantic and non-romantic ones, two people are capable of developing an understanding that would fall within the definition of a relationship.

So, what is the scale of this relationship? However far-reaching the range may seem, it certainly seems to begin right from the very first place where you discover emotions, support, safety, security, stability, and comfort, as a human being- your family! Connected through kinship, marriage, romantic alliance, or any other form, families come in different forms. Family relationships are ideally lifelong and make our living easier with their incessant support through thick and thin. When life gets tough, don’t we crave to cradle in the comfort of our parents, children, siblings, or spouse to find solace and courage to keep striving?

As we spread wings to fly out of the family nest and explore the world, where do we form the very first relations with other members of the society, apart from family? Those are the assuring friends in our lives- schoolmates, collegemates, colleagues, neighbors, etc. These are the people we are not related to, but choose to be with! While the terms ‘relationship’ and ‘friendship’ are not synonymous, there’s albeit a ‘friendly relationship’ in the gamut of varied associations. A rather ‘reciprocal relationship’ where both the persons involved, look at the guiding lines through the same perspective, usually revolving around mutual respect, understanding, support, loyalty, and honesty. This relationship may keep growing and evolving but it is far from romantic involvement.

And when we talk of romance, there’s this epitome of emotional bonding filled with passion and intimacy, and that fuels our emotions beyond the wires of engaging in social interactions or forming friendly connections, one that has a detrimental effect on keeping us happier in life- Romantic relationships! Defined by specific expressions of closeness and affection, this relationship has various labels ranging from merely dating to committed partners, ‘casualship’ to ‘situationship’ romantic alliance, infatuations to fatuous love, and open relationships to consummate love. Whatever the label, this relationship rides on the channel of communication, level of dedication, and illustration of fondness for each other.

A close association where two people feel comfortable and share common goals and interests may simply mean an acquaintanceship or even a work relationship. People who are compatible with each other gel along to form an interpersonal connection and nothing more.

Since we inhabit the common sphere of our planet and share it with innumerable species, how could we ignore the symbiotic relationship, with other species? ‘Pet love’ as we say, emanating from an ecological relationship, is therapeutic and extraordinarily unconditional love. One where we display our understanding through positive perception towards our pets encompassing associative learning, ever-growing attachment, and immense positivity. Sensing closeness, warmth, emotional happiness, and commitment, just by stroking your furry friend feels immeasurably soul pacifying.

With all the plethora of relationship choices what poses a necessary question is- Why do we need all these wide-ranging relationships? Well, for a start, they come with a wide array of rewards, and secondly, they are the cornerstone of happiness and fulfillment of healthy living. A vital component of human existence with compelling evidence of providing a long, healthy, and happier life, these relationships are imperative for our emotional wellbeing. Who wouldn’t long to have someone to turn to or count on when in need, while facing challenges, or simply to share life’s moments to create lasting memories and fond experiences? While each relationship elicits a different response from us, they all collectively make us not only associate with each other but also connect with ourselves.

‘No individual needs to be an island, so, elongate your life, embrace all the joy, get through the rough phases of life, be with and around people, get tied up in the quality of interpersonal associations, and live life to the fullest, as you discover the true meaning of life’!

About the columnist-

An HR-turned-Author, Jyoti Jha has been associated with corporates like Infosys and Whirlpool. An esteemed winner of ‘The Times of India Write India Season 3’, she has authored the books, ‘The Realms of Human Emotions’, ‘Around The World Through My Lens’, ‘Aanandi’, and ‘Heart’s Sanctuary & Other Stories’. She has been awarded ‘Savitribai Phule Rashtriya Samman’, and ‘Iconic Authors 2022’, as ‘Author of the year’ and ‘Best Reviewer of the year 2020/2021’. Conferred ‘Global Progressive Women Award 2022’, she has been nominated for Auther Awards (The Times of India) under the Popular Choice category. President of Savitribai Phule Shaikshanik Seva Foundation, and Columnist at The Literary Mirror, Jyoti is a Globe-trotter, Storyteller, and a Lyricist. Speaker at the prestigious Ahmedabad International Literature Festival (AILF) 2022, A proud panelist and Guest Speaker in Talk Shows at IIM Lucknow and IITs, she has been featured in prominent media houses of the country. Having been an honorable Judge at Kashiyatra, IIT BHU, she has been a guest speaker and a co-host at ‘The Lit Talks’ on a reputable OTT Platform.