If you are in a long-term relationship, you have certainly heard the age-old phrases: "You guys are like an old married couple!," "You two have been together for like, 100 years!" and so on, and so on. Being in a long-term relationship is an amazing thing, and can be rare in the times we live in. People may poke fun, but if you have managed to make a relationship last; count yourself as lucky! Here are some signs that you really have been together forever:

1. You talk about the weirdest things.

No more scrambling awkwardly for boring conversation topics, you can talk about anything together! Sure, sometimes the conversations may get weird (see above!) but, does it really matter? Your conversation on squirrel marriage could very well turn pan out to be a very important moment in your relationship; so go with it!

2. You have each other's backs.

When one of you makes a ridiculous request, you can be sure that the other will honor it! OK, so most of the time you may have time to rethink your orders, but what matters is that you're both willing to do it in the first place.

3. You no longer care about relationship roles!

Who cares what the movies tell you! Roles be damned! Ladies, if you want to be the big spoon, you go for it, because we all know that it is more comfortable to be the little spoon and sometimes men deserve that! Men out there, if you want to cuddle up to your lady's shoulder you do it! We know we're warm, snuggle on in! After you have been together for a while, the roles that we are told are 'normal' just seem silly. Do what you want!

4. Nicknames. That is all.

Whether every couple will admit to it or not, nicknames are inevitable once you have been together for a while. And no, I am not talking about the "baby", "honey", or "sugar" phase. I am talking about the "stinkhead," "bearbutt," and "hunkydory" phase. Nicknames don't stay cute (and socially acceptable) forever, but they become something with meaning. The second your partner calls you "lilypad", you lock that sucker down!

5. There are rules now.

Forget cheating on each other, you both know the big stuff to avoid, and after a while it becomes the little things that are important. If you have been a couple for a long time, there are things that both parties know have to be done, and more importantly, everyone understands the punishments!

6. Location never matters.

Long-term relationships guarantee that you will find yourself together in some weird scenarios. When you get to the point that it no longer matters where you are with one another, just as long as you're together, you have hit the jackpot! Being with your partner should be something that is never dependent on location, and that is something you learn once you have been together for a while.

7. You're still...figuring it out!

OK, so you're the cute couple that has been together forever blah blah blah, that does not mean you have it all together! Long time couples still find themselves looking at each other often with a face that clearly reads: "...I don't know?" The fun is that you are figuring it out together! You have found someone to stumble around in this life with, someone to stare at this big world with you while you both have dazed looks on your faces!

8. There is now a new type of best friend.

Being with someone for a long time doesn't mean that you abandon your besties, but it does mean that you have found a new type of friendship in them. You are with someone that is with you so often, that it no longer has to be embarrassing to be your weird self around them! You will always need you buddies to vent to, and share time with, but your partner becomes someone that encompasses all of your best friends into one! You have fun together, because you know that you can be your most authentic self with this person.

9. You have seen it all!

Oh yes, if enough time passes you will see the good, the bad, and the very ugly! You will have laughed, and fought more times than you can count; and there will be family experiences that you still have nightmares about. Don't worry, you'll survive!

10. You become the standard.

Oh yes, I know just how snobby this sounds, but it really is true! After a certain point, everyone wants to have a Lily to their Marshall or vise versa--and there is no shame in it! In a long-term relationship you will find many of your friends telling you that they hope for what you have, and you shouldn't cower away from that compliment! The single life is a great one, and if that is what some choose then that is fantastic, and they should do exactly what they want. But never be ashamed of what you have, because it is wonderful, and inspiring.