By Keisha Bruner/reporter
Respect, honesty, self-worth, security, trust, reliability and unconditional love all have one thing in common — healthy relationships, according to a speaker on SE Campus Sept. 10.
Julie Bassett from SafeHaven of Tarrant County presented Healthy Relationships.
Bassett compared couples working together to two horses pulling a carriage, side-by-side. The carriage will not move unless both horses work together and help each other. Such cooperation is also needed in a healthy relationship, Bassett said. One partner doing all the work is not a balanced relationship.
“You and your partner should work just as hard together,” she said.
Another common word the audience chose was boundaries. Partners should set boundaries for themselves since everyone’s boundaries are different. However, Bassett said the main goal is to set the boundaries together so both know their partner’s expectations in the relationship.
Most importantly, healthy relationships need communication, Bassett said. Couples need to recognize that some days they will be at different spots and must respect and realize that.
Another factor affecting relationships is media perception. Bassett said Disney portrays princes and princesses who are not real, and the media convinces people that their partners should look and act a certain way.
One audience member said there is no such thing as a prince on a white horse, and if people want someone with those standards, they have to go out and find them and sometimes compromise on what they want because no one is perfect. The group agreed that people have to be willing to find the qualities that are most important to them and take the good with the bad.
Student Kathia Robles said love should be conditional. She believes there is a line to love, but one cannot draw that line if love is unconditional. She said if a partner hits or cheats, the other person must decide whether to stay with them out of love or move on.
Student Jessica Green asked the group, “How much can you handle before you’ve had enough?”
“Boundaries,” Bassett answered.
Everyone has certain boundaries or limits that once passed, a red flag appears, Bassett said. She said everyone should ask themselves one question when with their partner: “Am I happy in this relationship?”
