“Making love” used to be a euphemism for having sex, back when people tried to avoiding saying “sex” (unless they were referring to gender). Now, we talk about sex in so many ways that “making love” sounds sort of quaint. But it’s quaint in a good way—like building a wood fire or playing a board […]
If Your Partner Is Perfect, Don’t Get Married
When you hear someone say the person they’re dating is perfect, you might be happy for them. Me, I’m happy they’re happily in love—but my second thought is, please don’t get married. At least, not yet. Because no one is perfect. Someone might be an awesome person and an excellent fit for you, but they […]
TalkStarter for Adults: How Do You Rate the 3 Parts of Romantic Love?
We all have a sort of vague idea of what “romantic love” means. But there are folks who think about love for a living (really!) who can help the rest of us find language to understand and express what we feel—and what we want. Cornell professor Robert J. Sternberg developed what he calls the “Triangle […]
Should I Wait for “The One”?
People who are looking for a relationship often wonder how they’ll know when they’ve found the perfect partner, The One of all the people in the world with whom they’ll have years of bliss. We’ve all seen the movies; we know how it’s supposed to go. You may be dating, even engaged, to a pretty […]
Honoring the Love in Your Life
This time of year, love is on people’s minds. You may be thinking a lot about your sweetie, or wishing you had a sweetie. But a romantic partner isn’t the only source of love in anyone’s life. This is a great season to reflect with gratitude on the love you’ve experienced, in every form. Over […]
35 Ways to Love Your Partner
You love your significant other. But life gets busy, and sometimes maybe you forget to express your love. Or the ways you show love are now so familiar that they might not have as much impact as they used to. But your partner needs to know that he or she matters. Even if your relationship […]
Four Keys to Being Romantic
This post first ran 8/30/14. What does “being romantic” mean to you? A walk on the beach? chocolates? flowers? a candlelit dinner? Any of those things can be romantic, or not, depending on several variables. If you want to do something romantic for your partner, consider these four things: Make sure it’s something he […]