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Seek and Give Support To Those You Care About

One of the key components of a relationship is the support that two people provide for each other, yet it is typically one of the most overlooked aspects of choosing the perfect mate. A relationship that is built upon mutual support will overcome just about any obstacles that two individuals encounter along the way. Support can take on many forms, but in the broadest sense, it is the willingness of two people in a relationship to lift and encourage each other to be the best that they can be. It is also the willingness for each of the individuals to be there for each other through both good and bad times. Lack of support in a relationship can surface in many ways. It can be something as simple as a failure to be sympathetic when a mate has had a bad day at work, to the major support that is required when embarking on a new business endeavor or during life changing events. Either way, if support is missing from a relationship in the early stages, chances are it will only get worse through the years. And at some point, it can escalate to the point of no return when much needed support is being sought after and no where to be found. The reason support is so critical to a healthy relationship lies within the concepts of success and achievement. For two people to build a life together, it is critical for each of them to maintain their own identities while at the same time work together toward common goals and aspirations. When considering the aspect of maintaining your own identity, it is perfectly normal that two people will not share identical interests in everything they do. One person may be an avid sports fan while the other doesn't know a racquet from a club -- and very well, may never care to learn. This doesn't mean, however, that the sports challenged mate must forever remain unsupportive of their partner. To the contrary, this is a perfect opportunity to give your partner the freedom to retain their own interests while still being supportive. If you cringe at the thought of sitting through a sporting event that makes no sense to you, take game day as your opportunity to pursue something that piques your interest. In doing so, you are not only furthering your own separate identities, you are also imposing no feelings of guilt when you each pursue your own interests. In essence, you are supporting each other through extending the freedom to pursue individual passions. The other area where couples often falter is in matters that involve each working toward a common goal. While maintaining your own identity is critical, it is equally vital to utilize a balanced amount of time and energy in joint endeavors. These might be business matters, financial goals, home improvement projects, and any number of activities that require both individuals working together as a team. When identifying and implementing plans for an activity that requires the talent and focus of both people, it is critical to identify ultimate goal, create a plan to achieve it, set a timeline for its completion and outline each person's role in the process. By addressing these things, a clear picture will be formed of the expectations you will place upon each other and you will have given yourselves a means of measuring success. You will also be able to identify any areas of weakness that will enable you to assist each other along the way. The couple that can effectively master these concepts will likely be the couple that will stand the test of time. No matter what the subject or the endeavor, these same principles will apply and are the key component for the successful outcome of any major joint endeavor. The amount of support that is present in a relationship, or the lack thereof, will ultimately have a direct correlation to the success of that same relationship. You may recognize this fact in your own relationship or you may see it when you look around at the relationships of others. Either way, when you become aware of the vital role that support plays in a relationship, it will forever change your approach. And thus, this discovery may ultimately be the turning point in your life that yields the success and achievement you are seeking.

Amusement Park Roller Coaster Thrill Rides From a Pint Sized Perspective

When you are five years old and 43 inches tall, there are only four rides in all of Hershey Park. According to the good folks at Hershey, there are over 60 rides and attractions, but according to our daughter there are only four: The Comet, Superdooperlooper, Trailblazer and Roller Soaker. If you guessed that these four rides are roller coasters, you probably also guessed that we have a five year old thrill seeker in the family. I am sorry, make that a 43 inch tall five year old. We must keep the facts straight. After all, she did not make me check her height twice a week all winter for nothing. This child has been measured more than a Weight Watchers convention! I guess it all started last year when she rode the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood for the first time, and then again, and again; six times in all that day if memory serves. And mind you, we did not just ride, we waited extra time to sit in front and then extra time to sit in back and I even got a lecture on how to properly raise my hands above my head. White knuckled adults were shaking their heads in amazement, but she just could not get enough. She talked about it so much over the winter that to tide her over until summer arrived, I even created a screen saver collection called Roller Coaster Mania -- try it and see what you think: http://store.eSellerate.net/90percent/rcm ; I put this on my computer and all winter as we ticked off her progress on the growth chart, she grilled me about which one of the coasters in these gorgeous photos she would be able to ride. By the first signs of spring, I have to admit, I was pretty eager to get on the rides too! So when considering our vacation destination for the summer of 2006, the primary objective was to find a park that had roller coasters that met the height requirement and a good selection of kiddie rides for our younger daughter who thinks her sister is nuts, regardless of how tall she is. Since most parks put a 48 inch minimum on what our daughter calls real roller coasters, I had to do a little searching on the Internet before finally deciding upon Hershey Park in Pennsylvania which fit the bill. Of their 10 coasters, four are set at the 42 inch minimum with the greatest excitement of it all being the fact that one even does a loop dee loop, as she calls them. We nestled in to a cozy cabin at a nearby campground, saw some other sites in Amish Country, visited the Crayola Factory, attended a beautiful festival in Kutztown, and then it was off to the park for the day. Of course, to our five year old, the park was the whole purpose for the trip, not just one of the many family activities we had planned. Our youngest was just in it for the chocolate and also delighted in boinking the Hershey Bar character on the nose. So we all have our vices I guess. At dawn on the big day, I found myself being tapped on the shoulder several hours before I had planned to be out of bed. Can you measure me one more time, just to make sure, she said, as she waived a measuring tape over my head. Even before my first cup of coffee, this was one of those moments you will never forget. Not only did she sneak a measuring tape into the suitcases, she also brought along her high healed sandals just for good measure. I could not quite explain that after passing the 42 inch mark, it did not matter how tall she was until she reached the next 48 inch plateau. She insisted on the added insurance that the sandals provided, so they were the footwear of choice; at least until after the first hour or so when I pulled out the backup pair. I absolutely love riding roller coasters but let me go on record as saying that for a mother, it is a little unsettling to see your baby being strapped into a seat beside you; she just looked so tiny sitting there! So I did what any quick thinking mom would do and when the ride started, I proceeded to reach over with my arm and pin her against the back of the seat, brace her head from moving, and make sure she didn’t fall out. After all, the ride operator DID say to secure, my belongings. Out of the gate, around a corner and down an incline we were thrust into a loop and a milestone was reached. She had experienced her first loop dee loop laughing and wide eyed every step of the way. This was her shining moment. When the ride was over, we hugged, jumped up a down a few times and then ran down to Daddy and her sister. More hugs, more excitement and then of course, Can we go again?! But Daddy, this time can you tell mommy to let go of me? I did some sheepish explaining and then we repeated our ride. In fact, we repeated the scenario 16 times (yes, she counted) in all that day spread amongst her four coasters. And as the day went on, I did manage to let go, and that made it much easier for her to thrust her hands in the air on every one we rode. While we proceeded to have a coaster marathon, Daddy and younger sister reported that there were actually a great deal of other fun things to do in the park too. There must have been, because I saw the tell tale signs of chocolate, but no one was admitting to anything. Maybe next time, I will figure it out! Then again, it is very likely that this winter we will reach that 48 inch mark on the wall, so I may never ride anything but a roller coaster again. Oh well, we all make sacrifices for our children now, do we not?