As a couple, you experience a lot of firsts together.
You meet someone special and feel giddy for the first time.
One date turns into a few, and then you may become official.
You may attend your first significant event together, like a holiday away, or meeting each other’s family, or RSVPing with a ‘plus one’.
The next big step could be moving in together.
You could then get engaged.
You say ‘I do’ with people cheering around you.
And possibly kids come into the picture.
It’s fun experiencing milestones together as a couple, but each milestone can distort the strength of the underlying connection.
You may have doubts about the relationship, though you may not explore these concerns because another milestone is on the horizon.
But you’ll eventually run out of firsts to experience. And when you do, you may not find a compelling reason to be together.
If you feel fulfilled in your relationship, then each milestone will simply be a bonus to share. But if each milestone is feeling more like a justification to keep the relationship going, it’s important to reflect on what that really means.
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