Living Proof

After the bartender poured my second glass of wine, I heard my friend Jen say, "But love doesn't fade, Deb. It just doesn't. How can he want a divorce? We were once so in love and I still love him the same way. It's impossible for his love to fade." As I kept trying to digest what she was trying to say, also trying to hold back any words that may hurt her or completely destroy her disillusioned fairytale dream of "true love lasts forever" -- I just listened. Sometimes that's all you can do. She was in complete denial. I can tell she knew. She's smart. I guess when it comes to the heart, I think it's safe to say that we can all have those dumber than a box of rocks moments and become completely naive to what's right in front of our own eyes. This man hadn't slept in her bed for over three years. He hasn't even been home 80% of the time. He stays at his mother's house in hopes that she will sign the divorce papers and move out...

There's no rhyme or reason to any relationship. Each union has its own characteristics that make it unique. Dare I even compare them to snowflakes, but I won't. In my honest opinion, I've always felt you should choose your partner very carefully. Choose someone who will make you laugh, make you think, make you FEEL.  Choose someone who you can talk to as if they were your best friend -- because they should be your best friend. Choose someone who doesn't mind the silence in between and the chaos that strikes unexpectedly because one day when you're old and gray and no longer possess any sexual desire whatsoever, you're gonna want someone to back up the goods. Sex should be the bonus of a relationship -- not the main course. If you have both, kudos to you. You want someone that can make you laugh, someone who can hold a conversation and keep your interest. It's not going to be perfect -- no one's is. Every relationship has its storms, it's up to...