love and realism

Hello there. It’s been awhile old friend.

What is enough to break a relationship? Disagreement over money is supposed to be the #1 reason for divorce. Are there other factors to that statistic? Were each and every one of those couples perfect complements of each other; best friends who knew each other better than they knew themselves? Perhaps there were other fractures waiting to be cracked wide open by the tough reality of existing and struggling through life together – like a piece of structurally unsound granite.

Love doesn’t truly conquer all. We each have many facets, not all of which can possibly be complemented and enriched by one person. How many, and which, of those facets, unmet and unfulfilled by a significant other are enough to destroy a couple? How many until you realize there is a gaping hole in your connection? If you do discover those unmet facets, how many can be fulfilled by other (friends, family, coworkers) until that one person who is supposed to be your partner in life and love is just one of many in your life and not your significant other?

"Significant other." How much does the term even mean at that point? At that point…how much is love worth? It depend on whether you believe in one true love for each person. If you don’t; if you believe that love can be found, creeated, and cultivated between numerous people in your life (each special and amazing in its own way) then perhaps love with your not-so significant other isn’t worth as much as you thought. If that truly is the case, then it is not such a devastating reality as one might expect.

The difficult part is what to do about it: hurt the one you love or settle for a not-so significant other. It is possible for them to be the same person.

Some people
It’s a pity
They go all their lives and never know
How to love or to let love go
"Streetcorner Symphony"
-Rob Thomas