Different Kinds of Love

Somewhere along the way, you have most likely learned that Eskimos have many different names for snow. In our society, how often you may hear the words, "I love you." Of course, no doubt you realize that there are different kinds of love: the love between a parent and child, the love exchanged between two friends, and certainly those words are used in relationship to your partner.

But even when discussing the relationship between two people, there are different kinds of love. And perhaps if you're not aware of this, you can easily be disappointed and feel that the relationship you have is missing something. A recent article I read spoke about the fact that a couple can, in fact, have romantic love that lasts a lifetime.

Love in all shapes and sizes

Let me first offer you some information about the variety of love a couple might experience. The first type is called passionate love. This is the type that is intense and full of passion and energy. Many people experience this type of love at the beginning of a relationship.

The upside is that it can be very exciting; the downside is the obsessive quality involved.And though it is hot and heavy, it tends to also create uncertainty and anxiety. Generally, this type of love is short-lived.

The next type is romantic love. (When this subject is taught academically, it's referred to as intimate love.) In this kind of relationship, the partners share trust, an openness with one another, and a feeling of being "there for each other." Thus, the intimacy is both physical and emotional.

Romantic love is by no means as intense as passionate love, but it is certainly more enduring.

Lastly, there is companion-like love. In this situation, the partners have a long-standing commitment to one another but the romance has gone away. My guess is that many couples who have stayed with each other for the long-haul fall into this category. Additionally, I would conjecture that they feel a sense of loss or that they are missing something.

Getting the romance back

So, are you and your partner in the same rut that so many other couples find they are in? Do you yearn for the days when you were first going out and there was romance? Have you given up the fight and just settled in thinking that as your relationship lasts many years, you've made a trade-off of romance for commitment?

Well, the good news is that it doesn't have to be that way! My book, "Marriage Magic! Find It, Keep It, and Make It Last," was written exactly for the purpose of helping couples revitalize their stale relationships. But if you don't want to read a book, just think back to the kind of things you did to make your significant other feel good when you were first dating ... and start to do those things again.

Research also indicates that when you are happier in your relationship, you are also happier as a person and you will have a higher degree of self-esteem. A relationship does take time and energy but it's worth it!

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