In the Name of Love
How do you know it’s true love? Well, sometimes you just know—there’s that intuition you can’t deny. But if your logical mind needs more proof than that, here are 20 milestones that solidify and strengthen every relationship. Odds are, if you’ve hit these marks and are still going strong: it’s true love.
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1. Labeling The Relationship
Going from meeting each other to getting together every now and then for coffee to becoming a couple is a bit of a journey. But every relationship should eventually be labeled, especially if it’s leading to love. So this is one you’ll need to hit!
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2. Saying I Love You
There’s nothing like the first time you hear your partner say those three magic words. Saying "I love you" reveals just how vulnerable they are, and if the words are returned, the two of you will be connected in a new way.
3. Meeting Friends
Meeting friends often precedes meeting family, as there’s lower stakes and hopefully less judgment. If your partner has introduced you to their friends, it means they’re serious and want their friends' opinion.
4. Meeting Family
If you’ve passed all the other milestones, the next natural step is meeting the family. This doesn’t have to be daunting, especially if you remain polite and try to be helpful. Offer to help mom with the dishes and be sure to compliment her furniture or cooking. Be sure to talk to dad about his hobbies too. Sit quietly and smile if he starts rambling—that’s a good sign!
5. Going On A Trip
Every couple should go on a trip before getting too serious. This is the first test of true feelings, as loving each other from a distance is always easier than actually living with one another. If you can tolerate all of their quirks and wake up every morning smiling, then you’ve passed a test many don’t.
6. Having An Argument
Arguments are just a part of life, and even the most infatuated couples aren’t safe from this. Don’t avoid conflict—use the tools you have to understand one another and dismantle the situation. If you can argue with your partner, remain respectful, and continue to love each other, then you’ve made it through another major milestone.
7. Moving Things Around
If you find you’re missing a sweater or a phone charger and realize it’s at your significant other’s place, then clearly this relationship is moving in the right direction. Having toothbrushes at their place or keeping an extra pair of clothes just shows how committed and sincere you two are.
8. Celebrating Holidays
Holidays are the most important time of the year for many people. Christmas, for example, is reserved for family and closest loved ones. If your partner wants to spend Christmas with you, it means they see you as a significant part of their life.
9. Coordinating Time Off
When it comes to taking time off from work, if you find yourself double-checking with your partner and coordinating schedules, then your relationship has certainly hit the next level. This milestone means you have fully integrated into one another’s life and have started tackling life like a unit.
10. Daily Check-Ins
In the early phases of a relationship, constantly texting may be a turn-off. However, by this point, you should be checking in with each other throughout the day. If your partner doesn’t text you good morning, it should come off as weird. Just like wives and husbands let each other know what they’re up to, it’s normal for serious couples to do that too.
11. Moving In
Moving in is one of the most exciting times in a relationship—and one of the most challenging. You’ll have to fight for closet space, divide up chores, and agree on interior decoration choices. This can make or break plenty of couples.
12. Combining Finances
Money is undoubtedly the most sensitive topic in any relationship, but if you can reach the point of combining all finances—including income, bills, and debt—then you’re pretty set for success. This is a milestone some married couples never even make it to.
13. Almost Breaking Up
Surprisingly, it’s normal to almost break up. In fact, you shouldn’t be surprised if you get close once or twice. In the early to middle years of a relationship, certain challenges can make staying together difficult, from changes in jobs to new interests. However, if you can survive the almost-break-up, your relationship will be stronger than ever.
14. Becoming Best Friends
At some point, you stop seeing each other as lovers and start seeing each other as best friends. They become the person with whom you share all your secrets, all your embarrassing moments, and all your hopes and dreams. Sure, there’s intimacy and all that, but above all, they are your person.
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15. Overcoming Crisis
People always undergo crises throughout their lives, but it’s different when you’re a couple. Their crises become yours, and vice versa. If you can overcome it together—whether it be the loss of a job, a sickness, or a pandemic—then you’ll have solidified your relationship.
16. Dry Spells
Many couples have experienced dry spells, which can be brought on for various reasons—changes in medication, hormonal issues, or even having children. Sometimes there’s no reason at all for it. But if your love transcends the physical and you are able to stay by your partner’s side through the worst of it, then you’re set.
17. Forget Breaking Up
At some point, the thought of ever breaking up leaves your mind. There’s no future without your partner in it—you’re so melded together you can’t even see yourself as an individual. While that’s a bit intense, it means you have entered a phase most never get to see. There’s no worry of divorce or unhappiness because no matter what, the two of you are on the same page now.
18. Sharing Tragedies
Tragedies are a terrible but unavoidable part of life, and having the support of your partner makes it a little easier to get through. Being so tied together that you can comfortably break down with no fear or shame is an experience not everyone gets.
19. Creating Traditions
After years and years of being together—from trips to holidays—you should start seeing some traditions pop up. It could even be simple things like weekly date nights or using a specific ornament every year. Either way, sharing traditions further unifies your bond.
20. Growing Old Together
If you still have doubts about the sincerity of your relationship, then staying together for basically forever should put them to rest. If you’ve done everything else on this list and find yourself reaching those twilight years with your partner by your side, rest assured that you have experienced true love.
