The best partners make each other better.

Every family begins with two people.  Each is a unique individual, but they do not enter the relationship alone.  They arrive accompanied by all their beliefs, experiences, and expectations about what it means to be a couple.  These notions have accumulated over a lifetime of direct and indirect exposure to, observation of, and participation in intimate relationships, including real, fictitious, and imagined ones. 

Just as these two people will build their relationship on the foundation of relationships that came before them, the relationship between them provides the foundation for those resulting from their coming together.  While no two couples are identical, there are hallmarks of mutually satisfying, lasting relationships, regardless of age, gender, or marital status.  This section is devoted to discovering attitudes and practices that contribute to laying a solid foundation for A HeARTful Home.