lightbrite,
Okay hope this isn’t a damp rag on a flame… on the flipside, having an emotional connection can exist independently of a healthy relationship.
Absolutely. And there can be unhealthy emotional connections as well.
It is important to note that true love also comes with respect and the voluntary ability or choice to give and receive. Giving to someone wouldn’t be enough if it comes with unhealthy behaviors and such.
Yes, for sure.
I mention this because it can be confusing when someone both gives to and hurts someone a lot. It can look like love from the outside but inside it’s quite different.
And such behaviors unfortunately can cause bystanders to disbelieve the abused person when s/he decides to do something about it.
At first it sounded foreign but a friend made sense of it to me. She said that she could relate. For example, she is makpid on tznius for Hashem’s sake. It may strengthen her relationship with her husband but the main drive is to do it for Hashem.
I think this is fine, as long as the giving doesn’t come across as a major challenge that needed to be overcome. Nobody wants to feel like a burden to be overcome, even if the one overcoming it grows spiritually from the experience!