Cross-pollination: How couples can benefit each other

Pollination is one of the most fascinating processes in the natural world. Pollination is how flowering plants reproduce.

The process involves the transfer of pollen from the male parts to the female parts of the same or another plant.

For some plants, this pollen movement requires the action of another organism, a pollinator. Plants and their pollinators form a mutualistic relationship in which each benefits from the other.

In the plant-pollinator relationship, the pollinator benefits by feeding on food rewards provided by the flower, primarily nectar and pollen.

In return, the plant benefits as the pollinator moves from flower to flower, transferring pollen, causing reproduction, and exchanging genetic information with other plants.

Most flowering plants require relationships with pollinators to reproduce. How can couples cross-pollinate with other couples?

Sharing is caring: Different couples share knowledge, experience, and skills. This is an act of kindness; that's why we call it caring. By sharing our experiences, joys, and struggles, we forge a sense of empathy that transcends social boundaries; we share our humanity. We also cultivate a culture of care and compassion, making the world a better place for everyone.

Mutual encouragement: When cross-pollination happens, no one goes alone. Bees get to fly around and become social, and plants benefit from the potency of one another.

Similarly, when we share ideas, knowledge, and skills, we make life and relationships work, and finally, everyone wins. This is why we need to be agents of cross-pollination.

We need icons, trendsetters, flight companions, and pupas: Mike Morrell is an author-blogger who trains other authors and bloggers. When I thought of cross-pollination and couples, his recommendation of what people need to look out for came to mind.

Mike recommends the four kinds of people who should be in our lives: the icons (queen bees), the trend-setters (workers), the peers (flight companions), and the next generation (lovas/pupa).

The icons are the most visible and respected people that we know and admire, who know or may not know we exist. Icons are the people whose endorsement we might seek.

The trendsetters are those who are getting stuff done; these "worker bees" know how to labour, and as a couple, we can work with them in the same beehive and get successful.

Peers are those we hang out with and interact with in real life. When we flit and flirt from flower to flower, they are there by our side, and as a couple, let's be nice to them.

The next generation are the people who are younger than us in age and experience; we can therefore invest in them as apprentices. They will take what we are doing to the next generation.

Finally, Rick Baker was the makeup and visual effects genius who turned Michael Jackson and a group of dancers into "grisly ghouls from every tomb."

This cross-pollination produced an iconic music video and a timeless, world-pop-classic. 

Amani Kyala is a counsellor, writer, and teacher, 0626 512 144.