He told me about an interesting documentary he’d recently watched on campus about the health benefits of eating plant-based. He made my veggie on wheat, hold the banana peppers. I stopped at a deli I liked on my way home from work. Then one day, I found myself craving a sandwich. True love, as it seemed, wasn’t going to find me. Behind me would be the endless disappointments, unmet needs, and invisible feeling that characterized my past relationships. I imagined traveling the world, hosting dinner parties for other singles, enjoying the unconditional love of shelter rescues, and pursuing my lifelong dream of writing. At 36, my decades-long dream of finding my person and having a family was replaced by a new dream of living a full and happy life as a single woman. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily based on research conducted by The Gottman Institute. Through the individual stories and experiences shared in Real Relationships, we aim to paint a more realistic picture of love in the world today.
Editor’s Note: We’ve been studying relationships for the last four decades, but we still have so much to learn.
