What does a love story have to have for it to be lasting and, above all, happy?
Just a few weeks ago, the Obama couple left the White House, which had been their residence for the last eight years. During all that time, but especially after, we have witnessed the publication of images that collect pieces of the love story between the couple.
It is perhaps the last famous love story, but not the only one. Sometimes these stories don’t end well, but there are many others in which they become a long, lasting and, above all, happy relationship. If not, tell them Michelle and Barack Obama after twenty-five years of marriage (they married in 1992, three years after they began their relationship). Or Michael Caine and Shakira Baksh, who have been together for almost forty-five years and who have become an example to follow in the film industry, where these stories usually have their days numbered.
Shakira Baksh and Michael Kane
The love story that hides behind Michael Caine and Shakira Baksh It speaks to us about passion, yes, but also about unconditional support, sacrifice, hope, fight and, of course, friendship. Nobody doubts that, for a relationship to be long-lasting and happy, In addition to passion, it needs other ingredients to season it daily Could those ingredients be lThe pillars of a couple’s success ?
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
Yes and no. Each couple is unique; Therefore, the keys that explain one love story may not be the same in another But there do seem to be a series of common elements in most of these stories, elements that are perfectly captured in the poem by Wilferd Arlan Peterson that accompanied the love letter that Paul Newman wrote to his future second wife, Joanne Woodward, the great love of his life:
One has to seek the happiness of the couple, but also that of each individual
It is important show love with actions and words
A relationship is built between two Therefore, in addition to seeking the individual’s good, we must pursue that of the couple.
It’s fundamental pay attention to details and little things
Despite the routine, we must feed love and the relationship every day.
Love is not perfect; it’s a act between two imperfect people who must adapt, forgive each other, love each other as they are and, above all, respect each other
love requires great doses of patience, humor and understanding
They knew this well Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, who for thirty years formed one of the most established couples in Hollywood, although they never got married. Tracy was married until his death to Louise Ten Broeck Treadwell, but his official partner, the love of his life, was the great Katherine Hepburn.
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
Another couple that has not passed through the altar either is the one formed by Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell His story also tells us about respect and adaptation. Together since the 80s, they have hinted, on many occasions, that love means adapting to your partner, without losing sight of your own independence. Something that seems complex but is essential so that the relationship does not deteriorate.
Elton John and David Furnish
We also see examples of these magical stories in the relationship between Elton John and David Furnish or in that of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith signs that there are loves that never die.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
