nurturing

Nathaniel Branden describes nurturing this way:

“To nurture another human being is to accept him or her unreservedly; to respect his or her sovereignty and integrity; to support his or her growth and self-actualization needs; and to CARE, on the deepest and most intimate level, about his or her thoughts, feelings, and wants. It is to create a context and environment in which a person can live and flourish. To nurture another human being means to accept that person as he or she is, and yet to believe in possibilities within that person still unrealized. It is to be honest with that person about our own needs and wants, always to remember that the other person does not exist merely to satisfy our needs and wants. It means to express confidence in the person’s strengths and internal resources, and yet be available to offer help when it is asked for (and sometimes to recognize that it might be needed even when it is not being asked for). It is to create a context in which the person can experience that he or she MATTERS, that the expression of thoughts and feelings will be welcomed, and yet to understand that there are times when what our partner needs is silence and aloneness. To nurture is to caress and stroke, without making demands; to hold and protect; to allow tears and to offer comfort. To nurture someone we love is to nurture the child within that adult person, and to accept the child a valid part of who that person is. To nurture is to love not only our partner’s strength but also his or her fragility, not only that within our partner which is powerful but also that which is delicate.”