SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
by John Yeo
The more I think about life in general, the more I become aware of the ingrained symbiosis that permeates our lives at all levels. The employee that is in a symbiotic relationship with an employer is a prime example of symbiosis, each is dependant on the other and the relationship is beneficially dependant on both sides. The employer derives the results of the employee’s input and labour to further his business interests, and becomes symbiotically dependant. On the other side of this symbiotic relationship the employee is totally dependent on the employer to pay him a living wage for the benefit of his input. Both sides of the relationship are symbiotic and beneficial to the lives of each other.
Our personal relationships are another example of the symbiotic nature of humanity. Many people get married or live with their partner in a symbiotic relationship that is thoroughly steeped in symbiosis. Each partner of a successful relationship brings much to each other in the form of love, respect, admiration, and support. They live together, learn to love one another, and in many cases stand shoulder to shoulder together, by confroningt everything that that is thrown up to destroy their symbiotic relationship. Children of the symbiotic union do much to cement the symbiosis and can add strength to the symbiotically joined people until the time arrives when they fledge their wings and develop a symbiotic relationship with a partner of their own.
There is another fragile example of a symbiosis that can lead to much hurt and suffering. People who are unaware that the ongoing friendly, perhaps taken for granted relationship, has slowly but surely developed into a symbiotic dependency that is vulnerable and can be just as hurtful. Perhaps between a single parent and their child or perhaps children who spend many years merging together with the parent, the symbiotic dependence on each other grows, without their awareness or understanding. This is a vulnerable relationship that is always doomed to bring a shock as one or other of the parties to the symbiosis is suddenly gone, irrevocably ripped away by death. Realisation sets in slowly. The life of the surviving person has hugely altered and a replacement symbiosis is virtually impossible to attain due to the impossibility of trying to replace a person who was so close over many years.
Dangers can arise as loneliness can set in, this is a modern curse in our now sadly closed society, where people take their pleasures in the electronic privacy of their homes and rarely cross the threshold to make new friends. There are many shades of vulnerability, some develop a carapace and become too isolated and wary of others to fight.
At this sad time many people take refuge in religion and seek comfort in the family of the church, trying desperately to relate and take some comfort and control of their now empty lives. Finding their own way, re-gaining self confidence and meeting other people, as their faith develops, encouraging their strength to return in the shelter of the words of comfort that are gradually healing the wounds.
Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved
by John Yeo
The more I think about life in general, the more I become aware of the ingrained symbiosis that permeates our lives at all levels. The employee that is in a symbiotic relationship with an employer is a prime example of symbiosis, each is dependant on the other and the relationship is beneficially dependant on both sides. The employer derives the results of the employee’s input and labour to further his business interests, and becomes symbiotically dependant. On the other side of this symbiotic relationship the employee is totally dependent on the employer to pay him a living wage for the benefit of his input. Both sides of the relationship are symbiotic and beneficial to the lives of each other.
Our personal relationships are another example of the symbiotic nature of humanity. Many people get married or live with their partner in a symbiotic relationship that is thoroughly steeped in symbiosis. Each partner of a successful relationship brings much to each other in the form of love, respect, admiration, and support. They live together, learn to love one another, and in many cases stand shoulder to shoulder together, by confroningt everything that that is thrown up to destroy their symbiotic relationship. Children of the symbiotic union do much to cement the symbiosis and can add strength to the symbiotically joined people until the time arrives when they fledge their wings and develop a symbiotic relationship with a partner of their own.
There is another fragile example of a symbiosis that can lead to much hurt and suffering. People who are unaware that the ongoing friendly, perhaps taken for granted relationship, has slowly but surely developed into a symbiotic dependency that is vulnerable and can be just as hurtful. Perhaps between a single parent and their child or perhaps children who spend many years merging together with the parent, the symbiotic dependence on each other grows, without their awareness or understanding. This is a vulnerable relationship that is always doomed to bring a shock as one or other of the parties to the symbiosis is suddenly gone, irrevocably ripped away by death. Realisation sets in slowly. The life of the surviving person has hugely altered and a replacement symbiosis is virtually impossible to attain due to the impossibility of trying to replace a person who was so close over many years.
Dangers can arise as loneliness can set in, this is a modern curse in our now sadly closed society, where people take their pleasures in the electronic privacy of their homes and rarely cross the threshold to make new friends. There are many shades of vulnerability, some develop a carapace and become too isolated and wary of others to fight.
At this sad time many people take refuge in religion and seek comfort in the family of the church, trying desperately to relate and take some comfort and control of their now empty lives. Finding their own way, re-gaining self confidence and meeting other people, as their faith develops, encouraging their strength to return in the shelter of the words of comfort that are gradually healing the wounds.
Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved