Autumn / Winter Tune up….
I recently read an article on things to do before fall and winter arrive. It was full of eminently sensible tips for keeping your gutters clear, making sure your winter wood supply, fuel etc.. is ordered and checking on obvious draft zones etc.…
It occurred to me that the idea of a seasonal attention for our relationships would not be a bad idea also. Knowing that ‘cold times’ come to all relationships on occasion, it is a good idea to make sure you have laid down the necessary provisions to survive until the return of spring or warmer weather. Obviously, this is going to be highly individualized and personal as all relationships are different. But perhaps many principles are similar, acknowledging kindnesses, sharing thanks, appreciating help received and so on can all help to set the store for winter.
In the Mandt system chapter on building healthy relationships we talk about trying to achieve a greater balance of positive interactions than negative. Maybe a useful bi-product of this is it acts as the tune up for our relations once ‘winter is coming’
Simon Kemp
