Relationships don't die on their own. They end because one or both partners fail to invest the time, energy, and effort to sustain them. They put everything before the relationship -- work, chores, kids, hobbies -- and are then left wondering why things took such a bad turn. A relationship can't maintain itself. Just because you've been with someone for 20 years, share the same interests, or you're convinced nothing could ever tear you apart doesn't mean it can't go down the tubes. If both partners aren't actively contributing to the relationship, they can drift apart in no time, potentially opening the door to drinking, depression, cheating, and other circumstances that can put the relationship on a downward spiral from which it may never recover. On the flip side, those who genuinely want the relationship to remain strong never cease doing the little things -- the love notes/texts, a surprise dinner here and there, a kiss upon waking up and bef...

I took a gander at my wedding pictures and realized that I haven't spoken to many of the attendees who appear in them since the occasion itself. I also reflected on how different some of these people -- and our relationship -- were when we first met. Life changes us all, some a little more than others. Marriage, kids, moving, shifting jobs and changing interests cause us to drift apart from people we were at one point very close to. It's hard to think that some of the people you would interact with on a daily basis are hardly in your life now. Luckily for us, while people have a tendency to change over time, memories endure. I may have lost contact with many of my closest friends from high and college, but the great times we shared remain firmly seared in my memory. When one of those friends comes to mind, I try to reminisce about the good old days, and not fixate on the fact that we've become estranged of late. This phenomenon applies to even my closest friendships. ...