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When I met my wife, I LITERALLY fell in love with her (or so it felt) at first glance. I had NO idea if she reciprocated my feelings, but I couldn't get her out of my mind! Two weeks later, I acted upon my feelings and found out that she did, indeed.
We've been married now for four years, have one child and another on the way. Given the time and experience I've gained since our first encounter, I realize now that our original infatuation was just that -- infatuation. If I had not felt those original feelings for her, she would have forgotten about me in a matter of days. It would have been much the same for me if she did not reciprocate my feelings.
I travel for a living, spending about 3 or 4 days of most work weeks on the road. Our early relationship would NEVER have survived such distance. Our current, more evolved relationship does, easily! She trusts that I will not go chasing after each piece of tail that saunters by, and I trust that she won't leave me for a young stud! We BOTH feel that the other is the only person who'd put up with our quirks and pecadillos.
LOVE is what comes after that initial infatuation. It involves choices : the choice to stay together; the choice to continue to work on your relationship, even when from time to time you can't stand the sight of each other; the choice to put yourself second (or even LAST, if you have children) in the choices you make from day to day. It involves work. And, the benefits definitely are worth it.
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