Human beings are social animals. We need love, care, attention and interaction with our fellow family members and friends to fulfil our interpersonal necessities. Life is beautiful when one has effusion of supportive individuals forming a robust support system. Moments of happiness become special only when we have others to share them with. Moments of grief become easier to tide over, their effect lowered, with healthy relationships to share them with. This is true of all sorts of relationships - be it those with friends, romantic partners or family members.
To go a notch further, relationships help us in our key moments and keep us motivated through thick and thin. We need not to go too far to validate these. Our very own mythological epics hold glaring instances where relationships played such a significant role. Lord Hanuman was a constant, unconditional companion of Lord Ram making the exile and the challenges thereof, such as rescuing abducted consort Sita from Raavan, that much easier to navigate. Hanuman acted as a navigator, a protector, a messenger, an army head, all for his beloved Lord Rama, underlining value of a healthy relationship.
Then we have the Mahabharata where Pandavas which had an ace warrior Arjun and a beefy strongman Bheem still needed the righteous guidance of Lord Krishna through their relationship with Krishna. If not for the latter's help, the entire complexion of the epic would have been different.
Besides these necessities, relationships also facilitate emotional and mental well-being. They help instil a sense of security and beat stress and loneliness. In fact the import of bonds can be understood by just imagining yourself left to your own devices on a lonely island. We also infer from this that our relationships help us communicate our feelings, desires and aspirations. Expression is, after all, vital for overall health.
Noteworthy is also the fact that without relationships we wouldn't learn anything about restraint, adaptability, empathy and nursing. Healthy relationships are also known to enhance an individual's age as seniors citizens with and without partners clearly exemplify.
Suffice to say then that the journey of life becomes easier to traverse when one has strong relationships with the co-passengers, lending a sense of purpose, togetherness and well-being.
(The author is a founder of Dudes & Dolls World, Adhyay School, and Ritesh Rawal Foundation)
