Being in love makes us believe in forever. But how long is a person's 'forever'? A month? A year? Seven years? A decade? There is not a single sure answer to that question because each of us has our own version of forever.
To promise to love someone forever is such an optimist thing to say. Not because it's impossible, but because, more often than not, those who freely declare such things are often the ones who are the first to let go. Why is that? Do promises hold such a low value to them?
To me, loving someone is something that should come naturally. Feelings or actions cannot be forced. If love is present, it is echoed in a person's thoughts and actions. However, although love does come naturally, staying together requires effort. Yes, I love this person. But there will likely be times when he does or says things that I might find irritating. Moreover, there will be challenges in life that will truly bring out the worst in both of us. It could be a huge incident, or it could be a series of separate and seemingly irrelevant events. Whatever the cause of any problem may be, one thing that will define any relationship is how we react to these issues. Will we let it pass with a resigned sigh or will we shout in anger? Or will we talk about it calmly and objectively?
Communication is key in any relationship, especially in a loving relationship. Love cannot be sustained by silence. It is possible to show love with words or actions, but it is still also quite vital to be able to communicate freely with the one you love. Silence, I believe, can kill a love. Silence and inaction, even more so. The death of 'forever' is when we cease to talk; when we cease to act; when we cease to understand.
So, what comes after the end of 'forever'? I don't know. It differs for each of us. It depends on the situations we were in. It is affected by the people around us and the individuals that might even come in between a couple.
What I do know is that if 'forever' doesn't last, it can be devastating. Some say that it is even more devastating to the one who loved more, while the one who loved less, or maybe not at all, could readily move on to another 'forever.'
A love that does not last 'forever' may be crippling. Still, the deluge of sorrow and hopelessness will pass, even though we will have to get through it with almost insurmountable difficulty and a lot of tears. We can wallow in this sorrow for a bit - allow it to stay with us for awhile in order to understand it and finally accept it. Then, one day, we'll just wake up and the days will be brighter and we will be feeling much better and even stronger.
