Mom and dad are in the kitchen roaming about with dad swigging down his last drop of coffee and mom tidying up after the kids have ate and rushed off to school. The two kiss each other as they rush out the door heading off to work. Mom heads one direction, dad goes another direction, and finally they both meet their destination.

At work, the hours go by and tasks are completed, but as mom sits at her desk, her mind begins to wonder. “What do I cook for supper?” she thinks. Her mind continues racing as she recalls the Parent Teachers Conference the following week. Mom now has to find time off work to join the meeting, and hopes that her children are doing well in school. When she arrives home, she cooks, cleans and finds time to relax after a busy schedule. Dad has already hit the couch watching the latest news, while the kids are in their room doing homework.

A common relationship is ongoing, and the next week mom makes the Parent Teacher Conference all to find that her children are failing in school. She thinks, “Have I encouraged my children enough?” Mom begins to blame her self, and when she arrives home anxious to talk with her husband, she finds him absence. Dad had to work late again to meet his deadlines, so she calls the office where dad works and dad is not answering the phone. Later that evening dad comes home. The kids are in bed and mom is sitting aimlessly staring into the space, when dad says, “Hi honey, how was your day?”

Mom frustrated and confused snaps, “How was your day.” Dad shoots her a curious look and says, “I am sorry honey, I had to work late again.” Mom shots back with a hint of anger, “Why didn’t you answer the phone when I called.” She walks up to her husband and smells a reek of alcohol on his breath. “You worked late, huh,” she stammers with a hint of “yea right.” Dad stares for a moment and says, “Ok, I did stop off for a few drinks at the local tavern, I was only there for an hour, I swear.” Mom stares haplessly at him for a moment and turns on her heals, storming out of the room.

What do you think will happen next? As we can see we have love and relationship, and a family arrangement, but something is missing to make this relationship stand. We can review the scenario together to see which elements needed to make this relationship solid. In the first scene, family arrangement is in tact since it takes two to work to make ends meet. Thus, the parents are readying for work, while the children are heading off to school. Mom has done her job in preparing breakfast, and kissing dad as he rushes off to work.

Mom has also attended the meeting, and adhered to her motherly and spouse duties, and has worked at her job. Would it help if dad helped her along in the kitchen and around the house, since mom has two jobs? Yes, it would help. Still, this is only one of the elements to make a relationship stand. Sharing is always a good thing in love and relationships. When two people share, it brings them together.

Mom has emotions that are instigating trouble, since she is blaming her self for her children’s failure, and shows those emotions when dad comes home with the reek of alcohol on her breath. Dad doing as he pleases, would not like it if the tables turned.

Obviously, mom is feeling frustrated and appears to take it out on dad, which makes him think or readers believe that mom is emotional. However, mom expressed her feelings with assertiveness and disagreement; still she stormed out of the room, leaving the conversation hanging in the air. We see a lack of communication in this family, since from the beginning of the story to the end; we did not hear communication between the children, mom or dad. We also need respect to make this relationship stand.