Love is Respect

Respect covers many aspects of a relationship.  It includes respecting the other’s needs and wants.  For example, letting your partner sleep even though you don’t understand how she could be so tired, or stopping on a long trip to let her use the restroom even though you don’t need to use it.  It includes respecting the other’s ideas and opinions, even though you don’t agree.  For example, he thinks the dog is sick but you don’t; rather than insist he’s wrong, respect him enough to consider that he may be right.  It includes respecting boundaries in regard to another’s feelings.  For example, if you know he is sensitive about his weight, then you don’t bring it up or use that as a weapon to hurt him. Respecting another person means that what is important to them becomes important to you, if only because it is important to them and they are important to you.  Respect is the way you say, “You matter to me.”