"If two people really want to be together, they will find away to make it work" - Unknown

Loving someone in real life isn't like in the movies.

All throughout high school, I have had friends who, time and time again, would tell me they wish they had a relationship like mine. I would always smile and say, "yeah, it is pretty great isn't it?" But, I never told them how much work a good relationship is; or how worth it it is. No good relationship is like the stuff in movies. All of that stuff is make-believe; it is not reality. Relationships require so much work, you can't expect someone to give you everything while you lie back and take stuff with no work. Here is my list of 10 things I have learned in the course of my three year relationship.

1. Nobody is perfect, as much as they may seem.

2. A relationship is give and take and constant compromise.

It is not all about one person.

3. Do not intentionally say something to hurt them when you are angry, it never ends well.

4. If you have a problem, tell them.

Chances are the problem is fixable without a fight. Solving things by reasoning and compromise is so much better than not solving things by screaming and fighting.

5. Sometimes they speak without thinking.

Forgive them, we all do it. Like I said earlier, no one is perfect.

6. Expect brutal honesty.

If they tell you its "just not your color," realize it means it just isn't your color. They aren't trying to be mean, relationships are all about honesty.

7. Don't take everything so personal.

It will just cause problems...trust me.

8. Laugh, even if the joke isn't funny.

It will make them feel better, I promise.

9. Always make sure they're OK.

If they seem "off," there's a good chance something is bugging them. You are one of the people who knows them best, make sure you know when they are not OK.

10. Keep your relationship between the two of you.

Your relationship is nobody else's business. Bringing other people into your issues, your fights, and your personal business in the end will cause issues. A relationship is between you and them. Not a relationship between you and five friends and then them.

P.S. Be careful what you say. Everything you do and say is heard or seen by someone. Eventually they will find out.

Relationships are amazing, they're fun and they are rewarding...but they are a lot of work. The work is not always hard, but sometimes relationships are exhausting. But at the end of the day, when you truly realize who you have with you...it will all have been worth it.