LIFE | LOVE | RELATIONSHIPS | CREATIVITY | INSPIRATION
Secrets of Long-Lasting Relationships
In response to Dancing Elephants prompt Relationship Column
In the search for perfection, they embarked on an amazing journey, letting life pass by slowly but steadily. Momentous goals kept them on their toes, accumulating accolades, awards, and acclaim that few had seen in one lifetime.
The superstar couple, lovingly referred to as LuFa* wowed their friends and silenced their critics at every turn, meeting challenging times with unwavering smiles and infectious positive energy.
People who didn’t know them marvelled at their achievements, full of envy and wonderment and those who had witnessed the star power respected them for their grit and perseverance. Numerous requests came to them to reveal the secret of their tremendous chemistry and phenomenal success.
Both were private individuals with no media presence, and their public interactions were rare to none. No one had seen the pair together without masks, nor did they pose for pictures at the events, preferring to use side entrances to avoid the peppy paparazzi.
Whatever was publicized about them was through a third-person perspective coming from their closest friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and grateful individuals whose lives were changed due to their kind-heartedness.
What could be ascertained from various accounts about them is that they were hard-working individuals who fell in love with each other while following their passion in the creative fields.
The handsome young lad was a struggling writer when he accidentally went to the wrong classroom where she taught a history class.
He looked like a fish out of water in the class, where an intense discussion was going on about the inevitability of wars as a tool of power and expansion.
However, he quickly inserted himself into the conversation by challenging the notion and urging the students to think of alternatives if found in the past.
The discussion evolved into a contemplative mode where students recheck the textbooks to search for examples of the expansion of power without wars.
She was irritated with his intrusion into the class and the disruption he caused to derail the discussion from the planned lesson. Nevertheless, she kept a calm composure to let the students continue their research and even provided some examples.
Soon, he became a regular in her classes, providing insightful, often provocative answers to the questions, keeping the conversations lively, engaging, and entertaining.
Somehow, he convinced her to help students prepare presentations and basically became a de facto teaching assistant for the entire semester.
Students’ reviews were astonishingly positive about the course, which made her reorient teaching methods and evaluation criteria.
After publishing his first book, he started traveling more, and they lost touch for years. Life brought them together in another academic setting, and this time, he didn’t want to let go of her, so he proposed.
Those who knew them agreed that the secret of their successful relationship could be narrowed down to three basic things: mutual respect, complete trust, and open communication about everything, especially the negative aspects.
They always try to solve problems by listening to each other’s concerns and making amends without being asked or prodded.
Togetherness was enjoyed by long silences, lengthy discussions on every decision, and lavish doses of laughter. To sum it up, they made each other better by working on themselves instead of demanding changes from the other.
LuFa lived happily after by not taking each other for granted, by not letting any negativity destroy their relationship, and by protecting their love from envious eyes in a cloak of pristine privacy.
© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)
This story is inspired by observing successful relationships, and yes, you guessed it right: Lufa is Luke and Fatima. Enjoy the read, and we’ll return with more nuggets soon.
This story is written in response to Libby Shively McAvoy’s new column on relationships:
Sincere thanks to the illustrious editors of the Dancing Elephant Press: Dr. Gabriella Korosi Dr. Preeti Singh Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles Annelise Lords DR Rawson - The Possibilist Libby Shively McAvoy for providing an amazing outlet for my creativity. ❤️❤️
Rick Allen’s story about a childhood encounter with a snake and the life lesson it instilled in him was marvelous:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sahil Patel’s post on nurturing relationships:
