Relationships are difficult especially when you are with the same person for a long period of time. You begin to notice the little things that you hadn’t noticed before, you may notice things like how they have obnoxious eating habits, how they like to correct others grammar, or how they like to always be right. This may get on your nerves and you may become frustrated with your significant other, but if you truly love them you learn to love them for their faults and who they truly are.

Many say that relationships today are much different than those of previous generations. Many do not understand the point of the “Talking” phase of a relationship and deem it unnecessary. The “Talking” phase is when you and your significant other are not formally in a relationship, but both individuals are interested in pursuing a romantic relationship. Others think that the “Talking” phase of the relationship has always been there but had never been given a proper name. Either way, it is widely agreed upon that relationships of today are vastly different from those of the past.

I was curious to find out just how much relationships of today differ from those of the past. I interviewed couples both in high school as well as couples that have been together for a long period of time. There were both similarities and differences between the couples that I had interviewed. It was remarkably obvious that all of the couples shared a deep love and connection with their partner.

The most incredible story I found from interviewing the couples was about Denny and Betty Smith. They had been married for sixty-six and a half years, they were first introduced to each other when Betty was attending Flatriver junior college and would meet up with Mr. Denny Smith at the water fountain. Their relationship blossomed from there and resulted in a beautiful family. Upon interviewing their daughter, Becky Noble, she told me the amazing story of her father’s love warming up the most frigid Valentine’s Day in years. “He (my dad) would always get my mom roses and chocolates every year. Unfortunately the last 3 years of his life he struggled with Alzheimer’s.” She described how he would rise early to get breakfast sandwiches, roses, and chocolates on Valentine’s Day. “He got up and my mom was still in bed, and it was snowing really hard and all of the churches were called off. When my mom woke up at nine he still wasn’t back and she became concerned. She called all of the churchmen, Park Hill’s police, my cousin and my husband and everyone was out looking for him.” Luckily five hours later Mr. Smith showed up at the house with chocolates and roses just for his wife. He later confessed that he had gotten lost and got stuck in a ditch on his way, but he had to get Mrs. Smith her chocolates and roses.

Love knows no bounds and that was certainly proven true, love is not bound by distance, time, or even space. If it is true love then love will find a way to survive no matter what the circumstances are. Hailey Gravatt and Klayton Foster have been dating for two years and like most military couples they have had to adjust to distance and space from one another. However, Hailey describes her favorite memory with Klayton being when he came home from basic training. “Seeing him get off of the plane and walking toward his family and me in the airport, he just had the biggest smile on his face. That first hug and kiss after a couple of months of waiting for that exact moment was just so amazing.”

Love can endure all if it is real, that one special person can make the whole world just fade away. Relationships have undoubtedly changed with social media calculating couples every move, but there is still real, genuine love still out there it just takes hard work, dedication, and a basis of a friendship to make it work.