Dear Dr. Love: Are John and me going to be together forever?
Christina, Desmet, Idaho

Dear Christina: I hope you and John are going to be together forever. That is the purpose of your union, after all. Yours is a noble but arduous pursuit. Eternal bliss is a tricky proposition, and even the best partnerships reach soul-searching points in life. Those are the trials that can bring even more joy to a couple. Being committed to another is hard work, and that is sometimes lost because of the initial displays of fireworks that go with courtships. Too many couples come to think a relationship is in trouble the moment the fireworks have dissipated. That is too bad, for there are deeper loves than the giddy beginnings fueled in part by raging hormones. So are you and John forever? I have no crystal ball. I read no palms. I cannot look into the minds of you and John and gauge where you are. I can say that asking the question indicates a healthy concern.

That tells me you want this to work, and you are prepared to do everything in your power to be eternally joined with John. And that is a good thing, because Dr. Love can tell you that the grass is rarely greener on the other side, to borrow an old but appropriate line. Too many couples find that out the hard way, and the emotional and financial costs are steep. So, Christina, I cannot say with certainty that you and John are forever, because there are too many unknown variables over the lifespan of two adults.

But I commend you on your motivation, for motivation plays no small role in making a partnership work, and I wish you and John the best.

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