One Boat

In life, there inevitably comes a time when relationships are shaken to their core. Whether through loss, tragedy, or forces that break even the strongest bonds, these moments test not only our commitment to bear the cost of another person’s shortcomings, but also how far we are willing to lift them back up again. It is in these defining moments that the foundations of who we truly are are shaken and revealed, not in the good times, but in the bad. Are we truly who we say we are when the tides shift, the seasons change, and the cold sets in? Do we run for cover, or do we take off our coats and open an umbrella for someone left out in the cold?

In many relationships, when something goes wrong, the instinct is to point a finger at the one who caused the problem, or worse, to leave them behind. This is the very person who entrusted us with their heart during their most precarious and vulnerable moments. Yet when the opportunity arises to fix the problem together, many instead wash their hands of it and throw their loved one under the bus. Such act leaves little room for ownership. Love is tested, not by how much we can give, but by  how much we can bear.

People with a strong sense of ownership in relationships often turn potential problems into shared successes, ones that are both memorable and honorable. They prove that the relationship is resilient and worth protecting. This gives both people the assurance that when one stumbles or fumbles, they still have each other, and that no one will be left behind in the cold, haunted by a lingering silence of a ghost that never appears.

When one person falls short, even if the other did not make the same choice, they still own the consequences because after all, they own the relationship. That shared sense of ownership creates a pact in which the failure of one is the failure of both, and the success of one is the success of both. With this bond, nothing feels frightening enough to justify running away from problems, failures, or narratives that no longer support their truth. Instead, they remain in the same boat, fully aware that they are in this together. No one jumps overboard, because the heart can never even consider it. When the mind says ‘run away,’ it is the heart that says, ‘stay.’”

Remember that success is sweeter and burdens grow lighter when they are shared. When you truly have each other’s back, you move forward with the quiet confidence that neither of you ever has to stand alone ever again. There is comfort in knowing that even in moments of doubt or struggle, someone is beside you. And in that shared space, you are spared the ache of looking back, wondering what might have been if only you had chosen to just,..stay.