The Best Part About Being in a Long-Term Relationship

The beginning of a relationship gets a lot of air time. It makes sense that it does. New relationships are exciting and falling in love can be a magical experience. It's the backbone of romantic comedies, popular literature and a huge chunk of reality TV. And don't get me wrong”I loved the beginning of my own relationship. It was easy and affectionate and I could immediately sense the difference from other romantic pairings I had been a part of. But almost seven years into this relationship, I've discovered that even better than that new relationship feeling is the comfort that comes from being with someone for a while.

It's not just comfort and security. There are so many things that make a healthy and loving long-term relationship great. The intense friendship that grows, the pleasure of really knowing someone's strengths and faults, and the ease that comes with really being able to be yourself with another person”and the knowledge that that person has your back.

But instead of me listing my own reasons for enjoying the benefits of a long-term union, I asked my friends and family their own thoughts on the best part of being in a long-term relationship. Here's what they had to say.