One of the difficulties we have with loving someone is our acceptance of who they are. What we believe about our partner in the “in love” stage, plus the changes people make over time can be difficult in long term relationships. Change is really constant in life but we can be impatient when our partners are not in sync with our own personal change. Those couples who are able to honour their partner’s journey of change as well as work on the emotional intimacy in the relationship are most likely to find happiness in their relationship. A great quote by Thomas Merton is something to move towards –
The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves,
and not to twist them to fit our own image.
Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
