It’s a great beginning.

But alone it won’t sustain a relationship over time.

Love is energy.

And energy without a reliable vehicle to run through ends up being dissipated into thin air..

Energy channeled through a container is of great value.

Think of fire versus electricity.

Fire may be more beautiful,

Yet electricity is more practical.

In a relationship you need both.

You need the spark that ignites the engine..

AND you need a well designed, well oiled engine.

So what’s the engine of relationships?

It’s its structures:

– The relational culture

– The agreements and vows

– The defined ways of navigating conflict

– The tools to bridge divides

– The rituals that nourish friendship

– The rituals that nourish desire

– The social & financial context

– The greater vision & mission

– The spiritual frame from which you relate

These are some of the structures that ensure that the love you feel can travel far and for a long, long time without breaking down.

Yet on love alone you’ll burn your life to ashes.

Open your heart; but don’t close your mind in the process.