Dear LotusFlowerInTheMud:
You asked: “In a healthy relationship, are you always happy? As soon as you are unhappy, do you leave? Or do you stay to see if things get better?”

In a healthy relationship you are definitely not always happy. As soon as you are unhappy you definitely do not leave. And you don’t stay “to see” if things get better.

A good relationship, like a bad one does not just happen. You don’t passively wait to see what happens. It is what you make it. You enjoy the labors of your work in the relationship. You do not give the job of making yourself happy to your partner. You are responsible for it as well as to all your feelings. Your job is to make yourself happy and his job is to make himself happy.

You help each other in the process of finding peace of mind, in living better, in being happier. There are such interpersonal skills to make it possible, such as EAR, Empathy, Asseriveness, Respect.

And it is possible to have a healthy long term relationship (starting with a healhier and healthier short term relationship, one day at a time) even when you witness none of the sort as a child.

Take care:
anita