I work with many people and couples in the middle of a relationship crisis. This is one of the most difficult situations in anyone’s life, and next to parental relationships offers one of the biggest opportunities for spiritual growth. As a reminder—you choose your close family relationships before birth. I write about this in the post titled, “Thanksgiving and Family.” Some of our relationships are bound by a soul contract, which is a serious commitment to connect with a certain soul and to continue the relationship from an earlier life. The purpose may be to tie up loose ends from this life, serve as a teacher for the other person, or start a new project together.  These contracts are not legally bound by physical laws and supersede marital vows and gender.