Project quote:

“She thought she needed a relationship. What she actually needed was companionship — friendship not predicated on how she looks or on being pleasant or perfect.” (S. Chapman, Searching for Something More, 2018)

My thoughts:

Realizing this seems to be easy for certain women. But for the majority, I don’t think this is ever truly understood and accepted. Maybe I’m allowing my own experience to determine my judgement on that.

I’ve worked this out and know it to be true but applying this principle in my life is another story.

What is the difference between a relationship and companionship? Here’s my interpretation.

Relationship: A connection between two people. There are different kinds of relationships, of course. We have various kinds with the many people in our lives. The kind I’m talking about today is the romantic/intimate/physical kind. This kind of relationship may mean different things to different people, but most would agree that if the connection has graduated to the term “relationship”, as opposed to a fling, hookup, or flirtation, then there is some kind of commitment involved. But notice that these kinds of relationships often have different boundaries or expectations from one couple to the next. Personally, I picture romantic dates, making a home together and traveling together.

Companionship: Friendship. The state of being another person’s companion, or one that accompanies another. When I think of someone who is a companion, I picture someone who I am comfortable to be around. Someone who I could hang out with, be myself and do nothing. Or, hang out with and share deep, innermost thoughts. Or, someone to laugh and have fun with. I don’t picture a situation where I’m constantly worried about how I look or what I’m wearing. I picture acceptance and appreciation.

If a committed, intimate relationship can be combined with true companionship, then that to me defines the ultimate connection. 😊 

What do you think?

Editing projects for weeks ending April 29, 2018:
Nonfiction book, Business policies
Client countries:  US, UK