Relationships are difficult. There will be rough days. Misunderstandings are inevitable. There will be squabbles. There will be nasty looks and rolled eyes, and I’m fine with that.

If you want your relationship to last, you must not abandon it at the first sign of trouble. You can’t give up on someone just because they irritated you once or twice. You must make concessions. You must apologise. You must accept apologies. You must communicate. You must be concerned. Committed relationships necessitate consistent effort. They have a tonne of work to do.

Even if you two are perfect for each other, there will be disagreements. But if you love someone, you will cover them with a blanket after they fall asleep on the couch, even if they have just finished screaming at you. Even if they said some horrible things while drunk, you will leave a glass of water and aspirin out for them after a night of drinking.

Even if you’re mad at them, you don’t want to see them cry. Even if you intend to give them the silent treatment, you will be tempted to text them. They will find ways to make you laugh even when you are supposed to be annoyed with them.

When you love someone, you can never be angry for too long. Working out your problems appears to be your only option. The alternative would be to lose them, either now or later, and that is the last thing you want to happen. You value your person. You value yourself. That is why you always reconcile with your partner.

There will be times when you want nothing to do with them, when you wish they would leave you alone, when you would rather be anywhere but in their presence. But you’ll never grow tired of them. You’ll never forget why you’re there. You will never doubt the power of your emotions.

Relationships are difficult, but loving your partner should be simple. It should be second nature to you. It should be as natural as breathing.

You should be able to rattle off a million reasons why you adore your partner. You should be able to feel yourself relaxing as soon as they enter the room. You should be able to say, “I am the luckiest person on the planet,” and mean it.

It should be simple to love them. You should be at ease kissing them on the lips. You should feel at ease discussing your past with them. You should feel comfortable in sharing good news, bad news, and silence with them. When they are present, you should feel as if you are in the right place.

Relationships are never easy, but loving your partner should be the easiest thing in the world.