The NBA Finals are quickly approaching. In the spirit of MVP's, trash talking and hot sweaty men, I decided to write about rebounds.
Rebound relationships are sneaky. They can appear harmless and cute...sort of like a puppy. It's only until they're gnawing on your shoes and peeing on your furniture that reality sets in. The conclusion of a relationship leaves us vulnerable. When someone gives us attention and serves as a distraction from our pain, it can be easy to fall for them.
Well, what's wrong with that?
Most rebounds are simply a mirage. What once seemed like Prince Charming on a white horse might actually be Don Quixote on a mule. Our wounded state of mind leads us to flat out ignore major warning signs that we would otherwise take heed to. This is dangerous for several reasons:
- We don't completely heal - venturing into a new relationship too soon is not conducive to healing properly. Yes, I'm aware of the old adage "one way to get over a man is to get another one". However, this method is only a band-aid for something that probably requires major surgery!
- We can be setting ourselves up for disappointment - viewing the new love interest with rose-colored glasses can be downright ugly. What happens when the newness settles and we are faced with reality? Does this person have the attributes that we are looking for in a future mate? Do we share similar goals and dreams with this person or do we even know what they want out of life? These are just a few items to consider.
- Missing out on a good relationship - moving immediately from one relationship to the next doesn't necessarily give us time to shop around. There could be more compatible mates out there, but allowing a rebound to consume our time and energy means that we won't have time for much else.
- Ending up in another bad relationship - and the saga continues. Unfortunately, there's a good chance that we might end up right where we began - damaged.
Rebounding can cause more heartache than enduring the pain of a break up. The decisions that we make in such a fragile state can affect us for the rest of our lives. Remember that rebounds have the potential to be game changers...and that's not always a good thing.
