For Closeness: T-R-A-V-E-L

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FOR CLOSENESS: T-R-A-V-E-L

Inmate Mitchell King had a visitor -- his wife. King was serving
a six-year jail term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery.
But his wife didn't want to be away from him for that long. So
they held hands. And they stuck. She'd rubbed her palms with
Super Glue.

Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation
painful. Her technique is not one I'd recommend for a closer
relationship.

But if you want more closeness; if you desire relationships that
are deeper and broader, more meaningful and longer-lasting,
then remember the word "travel."

T is for TRUST. Trust is the glue that holds people together (not
Super Glue). A relationship will go nowhere without it.

R is for RESPECT. "Do not save your loving speeches for your
friends till they are dead; do not write them on their
tombstones, speak them rather now instead," writes Anna Cummins.
It's about respecting others and letting them know that you value
them.

A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it
means a touch. Always it means kindness.

V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another
too close, no relationship will go anywhere without risking
vulnerability. Entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build
around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the
love.

E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. Learn to be open. Learn to
communicate freely. What kinds of relationships you make are
largely determined by how openly you have learned to
communicate.

L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said,
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also
the most enjoyable.

For relationships that can really go somewhere, just remember the
word "travel." Then enjoy the trip!
--Received in email