BETTER HALF

What’s in the name “better half” and “significant others” mean? Why do you call your partner my better half? Does it mean your spouse or your partner is better than you? Shouldn’t it be better if both of you were just as significant to each other? Do you really have to supplement each other’s shortcomings instead of complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses?


In every relationship, they said it takes only one person to ruin it but it takes both to maintain it. But how can a relationship last if one is better than the other one? That is where complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses kicks in. Have you seen the movie “Jerry Maguire” starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellwegger? There’s one line there where Tom Cruise’s character told his wife, who had believed in him and supported him through all those hard times that he’d been through, during his monologue in front of these divorced women so that he can have her back. He said, “YOU COMPLETE ME”.

Can you be that person who completes another person? Can you be the motivator and the source of strength of your partner? What if he/she relied too much on you? What if he/she doesn’t grow as a person and never managed to do things on his own? Will you leave him/her until he/she become mature and responsible? What if you were the one who is like that? What should you do so that he/she won’t leave you? Would you do the same thing that Jerry Maguire did and beg your partner to take you back and tell him/her “YOU COMPLETE ME?”

Knowing your partners shortcomings and accepting it is actually easier said than done. There will be times that you wanted him/her to change and be independent. Being always there for your partner doesn’t make them a good individual. I would rather want a partner who can actually live without me but still chooses to be with me because she loves me. Than someone who can’t live without me and always look out to me for strength and guidance. Making up for your partners shortcomings will make them spoiled and later on they might take you also for granted. You should not supplement your partner’s shortcomings to complete him/her. Change comes from within and if they want to be a well rounded person, they should realize what their weaknesses are and try to balance it out using their own strong points.

For me a better half is not someone who will do all the decisions for me, who will be my guidance when I’m in trouble, who will prepare all the things I need at home and at work but someone who will inspire me to be the best that I can be. She should be someone who will make me independent and responsible for my own actions and someone who will push me to my limits to reach my goals and be there with me to celebrate my success. She should also be someone who will understand me but at the same make me realize all the mistakes that I made.

A better half is not someone who will treat you as a king or a queen but someone who will treat you as equally capable as he or she is. Your better half should make you an equally better person and as significant as him or her.

So a couple being considered as one, no matter which side people around you, your family and friends, co-workers and acquaintances, look at, it’s always and should be the better half.