Darn
it, I can’t remember his last name. Tim Something was my psychology professor
my junior year in college, and he said something that has stuck with me all
these years. It is simply that little things in relationships matter – like
even whether you hang your toilet paper so it flows down from the top or rolls
out from the bottom.
Pretty dumb stuff, huh? I’ve gone through a number of meaningful relationships
over the years, and none of them have hung in the balance based on a toilet
paper roll.
But since Tim was my psychology professor, I feel the need to look deeper into the
accuracy of his statement. Sure enough, upon further self-reflection, I believe
what has brought the magic to my special relationships has not been one eventful
moment but a whole bunch of small circumstances and beliefs that are shared and
appreciated:
- Do we enjoy going for long walks without saying much to each other?
- Do we share our good fortune with others?
- Are we brave enough to show our vulnerabilities to each other?
- Do we truly appreciate our dogs and cats?
- Are we quick to forgive little transgressions?
And, for the record, I checked to see. My toilet paper hangs down from the top.