Is there such a thing as “forever”?

  From a very young age, we’re taught to love with the belief that true love is the kind that lasts forever. We see it in movies, in songs, in fairy tales, and we grow up thinking that if a relationship doesn’t last forever, then it failed. It’s not just an innocent belief - it’s almost a kind of programming.
When we truly care for someone, the thought that they might leave one day feels absurd, unthinkable, even painful to imagine. So, whether we’re aware of it or not, a lot of people go into a relationship with that hope of forever.
 In my case, I always believ
ed in “forever.” Of course, when I was younger, I did it with the naivety of someone still learning what love even is. But in my last relationship, it was a more grounded idea. We talked about kids, about shared dreams, about long-term plans - everything seemed to validate that belief. And it wasn’t a fantasy I created on my own; it felt mutual. I truly believed in what we had.
 So when it ended, it threw me off. Because “forever” was something I’d built in my head. And maybe this text is a blend of many others I’ve written before: the one about struggling to change routines, the one about broken expectations, the one about the lack of closure. Because when “forever” dies, it’s not just the relationship that ends - it’s also the life you used to know. The routine shifts, the plans stop making sense, and you’re left with a kind of emptiness that’s hard to put into words.
 Still, despite everything, I still believe that “forever” is possible. Not with everyone, of course, and not in every relationship. But I do believe. And maybe I need to believe - because I’m a romantic. I live off endings, but also off meaningful beginnings and middles. And if one day I stop believing in that, then I’ll be condemned to write only about relationships that never survive - and I want more than that.
 The truth is, today, if I fell in love again, I wouldn’t romanticize “forever” so much. I’d go into a relationship knowing it could end. Not out of pessimism, but out of realism. And because of that, my focus would be on making it unforgettable, joyful, and full of growth while it lasts. Because maybe what truly matters isn’t lasting forever, but leaving a mark that lasts forever.
 And you... do you believe in “forever”?~