About Sales Director
Jenn Price does not proclaim to be an expert on dating…but her years of practice (and willingness to share stories) will certainly get people talking. Join in the dialogue each week as Jenn tackles matters of the heart.
The Roots That Bind
price of love canada
(Nov.16.10)
Do childhood familiarities (or lack there of) play a part in a strong relationship?
No matter who you meet or where, similarities from childhood instill roots that bind you together in an unspoken way. This creates a certain familiarity, even among complete strangers.
We all like to feel as though someone understands us. Whether we remain in the same place we grew up in or move around the world, we gravitate towards those who share experiences from our early days.
I once dated someone that regardless of the commonalities we shared, there was one significant block (that lead to many others) between us. He spoke many languages and wanted someone in his life that could as well. This preference of his brought out an insecurity in me, and I think it prevented us from getting serious.
For years now, I’ve felt my biggest limitation in life is the fact that I’m monolingual. Despite my efforts to take French and Spanish lessons — even though I can get pretty good with practice — I won’t be immersed enough to become fluent.
Beyond spoken language are layers of communication and commonalities that are much deeper. Certain cultures are more abrasive than others. Others express love via actions and not words. People that live in a big city, but have small town roots somehow relate. Some families have traditions or habits that bind them together, and you don’t necessarily realize it until you discover the same traditions or habits in someone else.
For instance, two Canadian comforts that my family has shared over the last three generations, is the love of Tim Hortons and Swiss Chalet. One of the first questions my current boyfriend asked me was how I felt about both of these things. (At first, I thought perhaps he was mocking them since he’d been living outside of Canada for several years.) I answered honestly, that I love them both, especially because they remind me of my grandparents and my childhood. He confessed he has the same affinity and loved that we shared that. (To this day, it's something we laugh about and indulge in together.)
Sometimes opposites attract and it works. For me, I’ve identified that shared roots, once intertwined, can grow deep and strong, and that’s a level of security I find comforting.
What’s your experience with similarities and differences in relationships?