How long does Love last ?

Or is it lust ? Boy meets girl...... sparks fly..... Oh .... we all love the adverts that sell perfumes, deodorants, shampoos...... even ice cream and mints these days !!! That Prince Charming...... that Miss Perfect..... everything just falls into place...... how convenient !!!

Hey, I am not against love or anything like that but in real life...... things are very much different. Boy meets girl..... sparks fly...... either the boy has 3 other girlfriends or she is already engaged. Now, that's more realistic. Maybe it's a matter of timing..... always too late.

A friend of mine once told me, `The good ones have all been taken, as the for the rest, they actually make me feel that being single a blessing !' Is it that bad ? I see lots of couples..... looking very happy...... they must have done something good is their past lives. Or is it their present lives ?

Take this couple whom I know for example. They are in their 20s..... both are good looking. They started off a hardware business two years ago. The husband takes care of all the orders and deliveries while the wife does all the accounting, stock check, etc. They go everywhere together..... and do everything together. There doesn't seem to be any doubt about their relationship. They are busy building their future together. And when I talk to them, their concerns are about their business.... competition, customers, children, etc. Not a single word of disatisfaction with their relationship (trust me, I'm an expert when it comes to drawing people to talk about their relationships).

I did ask the husband..... what about romantic dinners and all ? He just casually said..... `Oh, those are the things you do before you get married..... nowadays, out most romantic moment is getting a good night's sleep with the children at my mum's house!!!'

And the wife, ` Well, no need to waste money on that..... as long as we can eat in peace in front of the TV, I'm satisfied' And they seem happy, genuinely happy with each other. Maybe the romantic love they have, has transformed to something else. Maybe, love has to transform..... transcend into something more permanent, like family love. Something that gives you the assurance that removes all doubts about each other's feeling for one another.

I guess the trouble starts when we try to hang on to romantic love. Imagine.... with babies crying, pesky errands to run, stress and lack of sleep and the wife insists on having a romantic dinner or going to the movies and on top of that the husband has to bring flowers and chocolates. Seems odd, don't you think so ? Or one of them refuses to have children....... for fear that it would take out the romance in their relationship. I am not a relationship expert, but we have seen enough soap operas to know that scenario.

So, how long does it last ? Someone once told me, love is like that pot of plant which you buy from the nursery. It looks beautiful, flowers blooming radiantly with healthy leaves. But you have to know how to take care of it. Otherwise the whole plant dies...... flowers and all. Too little water, it wilts. Too much water, it drowns. Too much sunlight the flowers wilt. Too little sunlight, the leaves and roots rot. And once all the flowers are gone...... would you still take care of it ? If you want it to bloom again, you have to put in the right amount of fertilizers and care for it. And if you want constant blooms...... you really have to know more about this plant.

So...people out there..... when you already have someone, you are of the lucky ones, care for partner. For those of you out there who are still looking...... find one whom you know for a fact, you can make it bloom forever.......