Anna and Don, dating three years, found themselves in a similar situation when Don was offered
a job in a city 90 miles away. Although they had
only lived together a few months, Don was able to
move before Anna and find an apartment while
she searched for a job. Their transition was fairly seamless, however they still found themselves
facing the day-to-day challenges that arise when
cohabiting.
About the Author
“Our biggest issue has been the video games,” says
Anna. “But we’ve solved that by finding games we
can play together. I don’t feel like I’m being ignored and he knows I care about his interests.”
While every relationship takes work, all the couples agreed that coming home to your partner
makes every effort worthwhile. Roseann and Jeffery
started dating as teenagers, have lived together for
12 years and been married for five. Says Jeffery,
“You have someone to talk to, someone to share interests with, to groove with. Someone to share fun
moments, happy moments, and shitty moments.”
You get out what you put in says Roseann, “By
being generous/patient/kind/giving/understanding
with him I inspire him to be those things with me.”
So what’s the key to keeping your relationship
healthy, growing and successful from the moment
you exchange keys to well into the future?
“Be open,” says Andrew. “Be open to when your
partner wants to talk to you, to their ideas, their
desires...sometimes you’re going to have hard
conversations, but it’s for the betterment of your
relationship.”
“Listening and communicating go hand in hand,”
says Kayla. “I let things go a little bit more and try
not to take everything so seriously.”
Whether you’ve been together six months or six
decades, a successful relationship comes down to
putting your love for one another ahead of everything else and always communicating.
“It’s really about consciously choosing your mood,
choosing your tone, choosing your actions,” says
Roseann, “and always choosing love.”
17
Jessica Scharff is a blogger, Etsy shop owner,
content creator and craft enthusiast based in
Dallas, TX. When she is not writing for her
blog or sipping cold brew at a local coffee
house, Jessica can be found scouring local
resale shops for vintage pieces to wear and
share. Her favorite part of blogging is meeting new people and sharing their stories. Get
inspired with Makers and Shakers, a series
profiling individuals who are turning their
passions into businesses on the Faded Sentiments blog.
fadedsentiments.com