My friend asked me if I thought love is real after he ended a relationship with the “love of his life.” And, I have been single for many years after two unsuccessful long term marriages, and one long term “committed” (on my side) relationship…
My answer? “Yes. Love is real—but it’s not static.”
It evolves, changes form, and sometimes ends. Romantic love can fade, but that doesn’t erase its truth when it was present. And love in its broader sense (friendship, family, soul connections, divine love) is enduring. Many couples do grow together through midlife and beyond, but it requires honesty, intentional effort, shared growth, and in my humble opinion, a spiritual life that encompasses a belief in a source that loves, guides, and protects, and one that two people can honor together with a similar mindset, morals, and values. It is a spiritual space of love, safety, kindness, as well as freedom and individuality to think, speak and honor.
I’ll leave you with this…when someone leaves a long-term relationship for someone new, it doesn’t mean the love they shared was false. In my opinion and experience, It means they stopped choosing it, nurturing it, or aligning with it.
Love is “non linear” where we are living and experiencing love in all its forms…ups and downs…ins and outs…back and forth…acknowledging that it can be a rich and valuable experience even with its non-linear nature.
We choose to continue to breathe life into love, or we choose to let it die.
Most importantly, when we love ourselves first and practice self care before all else, we are in a position to thrive in love with another along the long and sometimes winding road.
Love,
Wendy
