Yesterday Teddy and I walked with our friend, Scout. Scout is a beautiful Airedale and she was just coming out of season. About 10 minutes into our walk, Teddy suddenly got a whif of her. His hormones took over and what followed can only be described as a beautiful dance. They synchronised their movements, matching each other at every turn. There was no sense of competition, as there is in normal play. They each allowed each other to shine, ensuring neither felt overwhelmed.
Watching this little courtship display made me think of human relationships. At their best, they do exactly what Teddy and Scout did instinctively. A dance in which both parties are in balance. Balance means harmony. Being human, this is very difficult to sustain in the long term. Sometimes one party needs to be stronger than the other. Sometimes one person needs to take the lead for a while. Knowing when this needs to happen and allowing it to happen is a mark of wisdom and trust. It shows that we trust our significant other enough to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. If we can take turns to do this, or allow this to happen according to the circumstances, we are in fact maintaining the balance. We are dancing to a harmonious beat and the relationship is well placed to endure.