Originally Posted by abaya

Yes, on everything you said. We are two human beings--there is bound to be conflict and disagreement--but at our core, the "real" fairy tale part of it is that we continue to make it work and find happiness in each other. Even during those times of stress/frustration, we always know that it's temporary, and that we'll go back to our usual equilibrium once we communicate and find an answer that suits both of us (that whole compromise thing).

Compared to my parents' hellish relationship, which was as far from a fairy tale as you can imagine (a complete nightmare, really)... yes, I do feel like what we have is pretty damn cool. Not all couples have ready access to communication, empathy, and compromise skills... so to me, it does feel a bit "magical" when we make it work consistently, on a day-to-day basis, over a period of years.