three c's of healthy relationships.

The foundation of any good relationship can be built on the three c's: Communication, Cooperation, and Compromise. In terms of the three c's, here's what a healthy and an unhealthy relationship would look like.

Healthy
Communication: Trust and respect are an important part of all communication, and both members of the relationship are open with the other.
Cooperation: Arguments are avoided when both people are open to change and are willing to cooperate with the other person, and with life in general. There's not a need for control.
Compromise: When making decisions, both people let go of the need to be right or to control and stay open to other options until both find something they're comfortable with.

Unhealthy
Communication: Both people are unwilling to listen to the other a lot of the time, or are don't seek to understand. They are closed and can't trust one another completely. There's accusations on a regular basis.
Cooperation: Cooperation is pretty much nonexistent at home, and at a minimum in public. Arguments get in the way of problem solving or tasks they have to complete together.
Compromise: Both individuals seek to get their own way, so compromises are uncommon and are usually done with hard feelings.

One of my teachers lost a son at a young age, and the death of a child is something that is very hard to deal with. Both her and her husband weathered this difficult time well and came out closer in the end. Although I am not familiar with many of the details, I know that they both decided not to let blame or anger creep into their relationship because none of them had caused his illness. Rather than hiding emotions they opened up (a good example of communication) and found strength in one another (cooperation). Today they serve other couples who lose children by speaking with them, empathizing with them, and helping them understand their emotions.