But they do develop from seeds! From the seeds of a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, from an opportunity to be shared and from a moment in which a decision is made that brings you closer to someone. In much the same way that we will plant surplus seeds to bring in the anticipated harvest, so too we can sow the seeds of a relationship by simply giving generously to that relationship.
Leaving aside the natural harvest analogy, you need to recognise that any relationship is developed. They do not just happen. If they did the interaction between two people would be called a meeting and not a relationship. And where a meeting can be a formal, structured and one-off event, a relationship by comparison is the place where so much more can happen.
Relationships at their best are supportive and nurturing. They can bring fulfillment and deep satisfaction. To work and to deliver these benefits though, requires an interaction of energies and a blending of intention. As you look about the map of connections and engagements that you have with those around you, there will be no escaping your awareness of what constitutes a good relationship and what distinguishes this from those of lesser depth and quality.
Take a look at the relationships you have and listen to what your own intuitive sense tells you about those that bring benefit, richness, support and nourishment, and those that drain the life force out of you, or which are simply neutral in terms of bringing less than you put into them.
Invest time in cultivating the relationships that surround you. Where a good connection looks to be lost then consider what might be done to first protect and strengthen it, before you face the absence of it. When you feel the bond with someone, do all that you can to encourage its continuation and growth.
You do this because you know in your heart that the human condition is about relationships at its core. About the links - invisible or otherwise - that bind us to other people, showing us the similarities that we so love to observe and move toward.