Real-life Romance

 I have been a romantic for as long as I can remember. Growing up I played a lot with my brothers. They always wanted to play superheroes or war of some sort. This was always fine by me as long as there was some romance involved between the characters we imagined. As I've gotten older I still love romance. I love watching movies about romance. I love reading books about romance. I'm a big sucker for it all! One of my favorite things about it is the happily ever after ending! However is this an accurate depiction of real-life relationships and romance? 

Many of us (especially girls) have dreams of getting married and starting a family with our one true love. It sounds absolutely magical to think of spending the rest of your life with that special someone. But this is not how marriage has always been thought of. Back in Ancient Greece and Rome marriages were politically motivated. The idea of marrying someone you actually love was not a reality for many (if any at all). As time went on it became more of a use for social advances or statuses. This is not what I would call romantic in the least. However, we are now more in a state where we as a population do marry for love more often than not. Of course, there are many benefits and bonuses that can come along with it (like personal/ financial security, etc.) but overall it is done so that you can make those dreams a reality.

Sadly it is not as easy as that. Marriage is wonderful and beautiful, but just like a piece of artwork, it times time and effort, and a lot of work to make it that way and keep it that way. Think about it logically for a minute. When you marry someone you are changing almost every single aspect of your life. Though this will differ from couple to couple, every relationship goes under many changes once a couple is married. Even those that cohabitate before marriage experience these changes. Marriage is amazing but sometimes that change can make it a little painful. 

How do we handle the change then? How can we keep the beauty of the marriage and relationship while juggling the challenges that also come attached to sealing the deal? 

There are many things a couple needs to be aware of when entering a marriage. One of the number one things is not only being aware of their significant other but of being aware of themselves. With this deeper understanding and awareness of the other person and of ourselves, we are more easily able to keep up a good and healthy relationship. Of course, this actually involves communicating with one another. If no one is communicating in a relationship, how can anyone have hope that it will succeed. With communication, you are able to voice your own needs (in whatever aspect of a marriage, i.e. intimacy, finances, etc.) and gain invaluable information about your spouse and their needs. 

There are many other things that are involved in making a marriage work. There is a lot of compromises and give and take that are involved to keep the relationship not only floating but soaring. Without compromises, relationships (emphasis on the ships) sink really quick. 

I claim to be no expert in marriage (especially since I have thus far not achieved marriage), but I know enough to understand the basics about what it takes to make a marriage last. And while these efforts may sound (and may be) exhausting they are what make those dreams of a happily ever after romance into a reality! 

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