Everyone has strong opinions about what an “ideal relationship” looks like. Personally, I dream of a relationship straight out of my favorite romance novels. In fact, one of my favorite romantic books is Nicholas Sparks’ Dear John. Although I love the entire story, one quote always seems like the perfect quote to build my relationship around:
“I finally understood what true love meant… love meant that you care for another person’s happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be.”
After all, love is so much more than a four-letter word. It’s more than feeling butterflies in your stomach or receiving cute letters and gifts from your partner. As this quote so beautifully states, love involves sacrifice and real work.
Most 20-somethings think that relationships should revolve around physical attraction and sex, but I disagree. Personally, I want to build my relationship on deep connections. I want a relationship that starts as a sweet friendship and grows into something more. I want something beautiful that no one else will ever have.
I firmly believe that my favorite Nicholas Sparks quote speaks volumes about how a real relationship should look.
Despite what many young adults think, relationships require time and effort to grow into a forever love. I think that we often give up on relationships too soon and don’t fully commit to our partners. Hopefully, though, I will use this quote to approach my current relationship differently.
Also, my “ideal relationship” quote helps me see the type of relationship that I deserve. I want a man who willingly sacrifices his time and effort on my behalf and understands that love is a give-and-take partnership. I want a man who will continue to work with me to grow our relationship, not someone who lets our love dry up because he won’t move forward.
Right now, I feel like I’ve finally found a relationship that I can use this quote to build. I’ve finally found someone who understands the true meaning of love, not a man who only cares about my looks and the physical affection I can provide. As my boyfriend and I continue to build our relationship, I hope that we can both keep this quote in mind. I hope that you find someone who helps you build a “Nicholas Sparks,” give-and-take relationship, too.
Feature Image by Antonio DiCaterina on Unsplash
