Something that each of you may want to ponder during your private times - it's an old speech of mine - now put into writing that will no doubt get "e-published" shortly but I thought I'd send to those on this list for "very specific" reasons. Karl ------------------------------------------- The Power of “Three” Have you ever thought about “what exactly” a relationship is? For most people, the “immediate” answer is “my significant other and I”. Two people who have fallen in love (or think they have) and are sharing their lives together (at a given moment in time). But are there only TWO of you in a relationship? How many parties are there in a relationship? What if it was suggested that there were “three” and asked you to think about who the “third” was - what would your answer be? Would your immediate response be “oh that has to be God”? (for the record, I have a deep belief in my own God and in my own very private way). What if it was suggested that God was not the “third” person? Who is left to be the “third” member of your relationship? Take a moment before continuing to read this to its conclusion? Before suggesting who that third party is - consider just a few more questions. How many of us have said “I live for my kids”, “I live for my significant other for their happiness makes me happy”, “I live for………….? Have any of you answered that part of you is “living for yourself”? The “power of three” in ANY relationship can be reduced to three words - “YOU, ME, and US”. We each have our own desires, dreams, goals, hopes, likes and dislikes. When we’re in love - however that’s defined for you personally, you ALWAYS want to make your partner happy, be happy for them, be sad with them, hurt with them (and anything else you care to add). In turn, that should be reciprocal, they should do the same for you for there is NO REASON why one person should “give up” “themselves” for another - spouse, significant other, child or whomever you have become extremely close too. In any relationship - the most powerful (and third) member is “US”. Where each of us can be whom we are, will all our successes, all our frailties and mistakes, with all our dreams, at all times. However, if you are able to maintain that, then it becomes important to give birth to, develop, nurture, care for the “US” - where two people share common long-term goals, dreams, and desires. The person that the “YOU and ME” decide it’s worth compromising on to see the “US” grow - the third member you will help grow during good times and bad. The beautiful thing about this third member is that in order for you to be successful, the “YOU and ME” can NEVER be left behind, be forgotten about, be taken granted since in order for “US” to live a rich and fruitful life - all three members must maintain their identities at all times. In conclusion, in order to give birth to “US”, the “YOU” and “ME” have to be able to talk, to understand, to feel, to compromise, to determine what is valuable for the time that the “YOU” and “ME” have together. It’s simply like any other child spawned from a union of either love or passion that you watch grow - with all the time and attention that is required once the initial seed has been planted. That is the “Power of Three”. Written By: Karl Timmermans - Toronto, Ontario Aug’2000 - All rights reserved Email: Karl@Ktimmermans.com _________________________________________