I think it’s something we engrained into our heads as kids that relationships are measured by time. Maybe it’s because we look at our parents and how they’ve been married for x amount of years, or maybe it’s because relations have steps of dating, engagement, marriage with their own allotted time expected in each step.

Well, that’s stupid.

Relationships aren’t a straight line that moves at a steady pace. Every relationship is different, and we need to start letting them be that way.

A person can be in a relationship for four years and have the same amount of love for their partner as someone who has been in a relationship with their partner for just a month. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with either of those scenarios.

It’s about the connection and a sense of security. The bond that you have with another person doesn’t always develop at a socially-acceptable rate, like saying “I love you” after say, 8 months of dating. Sometimes it’s all at once, hitting you in the face in the span of a week.

Time shouldn’t mean anything. Its only purpose is to determine how long you’ve actually been in the relationship —that’s it.

It’s important to move at your own pace. What feels right is right, there’s no reason to worry about anything other than what’s in your heart, as cliché as that sounds. Love shouldn’t be measured by time, and neither should your relationship’s status or worth.

Say “I love you” when it feels right. Don’t wait around to ask someone to be in a relationship with you until after however many weeks, because you could miss your shot. Take the steps of each relationship at your own time. After all, it's your relationship. It’s between you and your partner.