Something to Be Grateful for (Parts I & II)

Something to Be Grateful for (Part I)
I’ve always been fascinated that certain romantic relationships get discounted due to qualities thought contaminating. Marrying for money probably tops the list and, from a qualitative standpoint, is probably as justified as the censure is severe. For people who do it always pretend that love is the true reason [...]

Try Punctuating Gestures for Improving Romantic Relationships

There are many kinds of love and romantic love is different from the others. Parental love tends to be more constant and to exert an almost involuntary pull on our emotions, a compelling and ionizing draw toward commitment and sacrifice. In contrast, romantic love goes through stages, starting with attraction, going to a decision-making or [...]

Love at a Higher Level: Is it Fantasy or Just Hard to Get to?

Is it possible to achieve a higher romantic love than the resigned complacency we see all around us? If so, can  it be sustained for long? Would many people really want it? Sure, nonfiction literature is replete with books, courses, and seminars on how to achieve romantic or marital bliss. But few of us seem [...]

Romantic Commitment Versus Separate Accounts

I happened to be walking through the den the other day and overheard a pundit on Fox News exhorting prospective newlyweds to be sure to set up separate checking and banking accounts for each of them. She seemed to be mentioning it as a kind of checklist item, probably part of an array of recommendations, [...]

The Value of Intimate Gestures and Habits

A while back on a family trip, my single adult daughter commented how distasteful it was that her mother and I shared the same toothbrush. This sort of thing had come up before, and her comment was more resigned–like a sigh–than spirited. I smiled at the comment, but said nothing. Later I recalled my emotional [...]