Relationships can be both exciting and breathtaking. There’s something so special about finding a person that tries to understand you completely and cares about your life just as much as you do. It’s an amazing feeling to find the person you consider to be your best friend that you can run to with anything. And of course the longer you stay together, the closer the two of you become. You know their favorite songs, favorite season, their biggest secrets and their deepest fears. You know the stories from their childhood, their best friends and their family. You talk about your dreams and aspirations; you push one another to be better each day. You consider them your other half and wouldn’t have it any other way. And then — eventually — the comfortable days come. Yes, the exciting dates out on the town begin to dwindle, and days spent on the couch watching Netflix become more regular. Spending an hour getting ready to see them goes out the window, and leggings and big T-shirts become your go-to outfit choice.
You see one another at your best and worst moments. That’s pretty normal, and I wouldn’t start overthinking it. But don’t allow your relationship to get stagnant — that is a love checkmate. You have to continue surprising each other. Maybe show up at their door with their favorite food you picked up on the way over, or a small bouquet of flowers from the store when they least expect it. Let them choose the movie you watch when you usually choose nine out of 10 times. Cook them dinner, or tell them how beautiful they are in the middle of a conversation. Let them know that you still see them the same way you saw them when it was the very first time. Make sure they know you love them more and more each day and that no matter how comfortable you two may get, that they are the only one you see. That they’re the only person you’d spend a full day in bed with eating junk food and watching shows with. And whatever you do, make sure you to continue to date them.
When I say, “date them,” I literally mean just that. Yes, small reminders are important in their own way. But make sure you plan a time where you each dress up for one another and go out on the town again. Make the other feel like it’s the very first time you met and like you’re still excited by the thought of them. Even though they are your best friend, they’re also the person you’re in love with — so show them that! Doing these things will not only help strengthen your relationship, but I guarantee it will help your relationship last the long haul. It’s important to maintain your friendship and that bond, but keeping the spark alive and healthy is equally as important. You have to keep that chemistry alive and the passion present, otherwise the relationship won't continue to grow which is ultimately what you both want.
