Is the Honeymoon Over?

When we would visit my grandma in the last few years of her life she used to tell the same stories, over and over again - sometimes within the same visit. She wasn't struggling with her memory, she just didn't have anything new to talk about. She rarely left the house anymore and her hearing and eyesight weren't good anymore so she didn't listen to the radio, watch TV or read anymore and her physical health prevented her from doing any of her old hobbies. Visitors had become a burden instead of a joy. She was frustrated at having little to contribute so she would recycle the same stories in a desperate attempt to entertain us. Her life had become stagnant.

Relationships run the same risk. True, most relationships start out with that honeymoon stage- where the two of you hole up together and nothing and no-one else is really as important or interesting as that new person. What a fun stage that is but it doesn't last forever. If you don't get past the "honeymoon" and venture out into the world together then you run the risk of letting things get stagnant.

Life can't exist in a vacuum; neither can relationships. How much can you really learn about a person if you don't see them in the real world? How they interact with other people? How they react to certain events? How do they see the world around them? A little outside stimuli can prompt some pretty interesting conversations.

The world has a habit of forcing its way in whether you want it to or not. You might as well invite it in - then you can do it on your own terms. Why miss out on a great opportunity to learn and grow together? Isn't that the point?