Skating on Ice

Relationships are like ice on a frozen lake. We are constantly testing on tiptoe to see if they will hold the weight of who we really are. We take risks and open up a little, watching to see how the other will respond. Acceptance? Judgment? Reciprocal self-disclosure? Grace? Silence? Ideally, whether quickly or slowly, the relationship proves to be thick enough to hold our full weight. But the point of proving relational reliability is not just walking on the ice. The goal is to enjoy the freedom of gliding on ice with another, free of the burden of self-consciousness, free to enjoy the other’s movements and how they combine with yours to make unique, unrepeatable figures in the ice.