Week 3: Written Work

 1. Why is COMMITMENT important in relationships?

- Commitment and love are the two factors to have a long-lasting and healthy relationship. If one is absent, a relationship would not work, or it may work but for the short-term only. Commitment serves as the foundation of permanence and solidity between a couple. It is a decision to give yourself to someone else with the intention of staying together forever even though life happens, things get hard, you struggle, you fight, and you may want to give up and split up. There’s no attitude that the relationship is going to end “when the fun stops.” Emotional closeness, love, trust, and mutual support are built and improved in a committed relationship. After all, if one wants a relationship that can withstand the ups and downs, it needs commitment. As simple as it is, commitment is the glue in the relationship.

2. What is "CLOSURE" in a relationship? Why is it important?

- I remember my close friend who was engaged in a relationship but ended in a bad breakup. He didn't know when and how to start moving on since he always hopes that maybe someday things would be back again. I see how important closure is in this situation. Closure serves as the first step of a very long process of moving-on. But when the first step is not yet done, then it would be difficult to start or continue the process. The closure is done to clarify things and to finish all illusions about "what if" scenarios. The closure is important because it gives both parties the opportunity to own their part in why the relationship didn’t work.  It helps one to close the door and move forward in a healthy way.

3. If you were in a situation similar to the girl, how would you move on?

- If I was the one in the girl's situation, I would really try to communicate with my ex to ask for closure. It's hard to move on when there are still thoughts and what-ifs in my mind. I will express my emotions so that I can release them. I might need to cry, scream, shake, or exercise to get it out. Moving on might seem like a difficult feat, so I'll just focus on taking baby steps. I will take care of myself so my broken heart will start to mend. Then, I will focus on working through my emotions and building independence. Lastly, I will think about what I’ve been through and how I can use this relationship to improve my future. I will treat this as a learning opportunity rather than a failure or a waste of time.

SCORE: 20/20