Home › Magazine › Winter 2008 › Old Relationships, New Possibilities

Old Relationships, New Possibilities

Breaking free of unhealthy relationships allows us to replace dependency and neurosis with compassionate respect.

Dzigar Kongtrul

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Human Currents Kim LiebermanWE ALL HAVE SOME rough relationships in our lives that seem held together by the stickiness of attachment and expectation. It is true that we have love and care for these people, but, at the same time, it’s not so clean; there’s plenty of complexity. Inside, we feel an emotional tug when we see or think of them. This is often exaggerated with the people we are close to and with whom we share a strong dynamic, such as our parents, children, close friends, or spouse—all relationships where a lot of expectations tend to arise. There are many unspoken demands. In the midst of our romance, marriage, or parenting, we find ourselves responsible for someone else’s loneliness and their emotional or physical pain.

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