Relationships
When passionate romance becomes more like family, does that mean love is gone?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Not necessarily. When a romance begins, simply meeting and eating together feels happy, and both are willing to accommodate each other. Over time, novelty and feelings of intimacy may change and gradually become more like family. Less intensity alone does not mean love has ended.
For example, traveling from Taipei to Taoyuan or Hsinchu every day to meet may originally feel no distance at all. Later, the journey becomes tiring and someone wants to meet on holidays instead. Or one person wants to rest at home while the other wants to go out. The discussion then concerns balancing different needs, rather than merely judging who still accommodates everything as during the passionate early stage.
I prefer to speak of nurturing a relationship with care rather than constantly calculating how much one has sacrificed. Caring about the other person, showing concern, tolerance, and understanding, and proactively doing thoughtful things give the relationship an opportunity to improve. Time together does not necessarily mean growing ever more distant. After passion changes, what matters is still how both people are willing to relate.