You know when you’ve been together a while,
things can get tough.
Life gets in the way.
You stop hearing each other.
You start keeping score
instead of keeping close.
You may not know what started it
maybe it was something small,
maybe it wasn’t.
But know this:
you both have a choice to make.
You can keep drifting apart,
blaming, defending,
or you can show up
and find your way back
inch by inch.
Because that’s what relationships can be:
a game of inches.
The margin for connection can be so small
one missed look,
one harsh word,
one moment you don’t reach out,
and the distance grows.
But those same inches
can bring you back.
One honest apology.
One act of kindness when it’s hard.
One time you listen
instead of reacting.
That’s how you close the gap.
You see, in any relationship,
the inches you need are everywhere around you.
They’re in every moment
you choose to understand
instead of attack or defend.
They’re in every touch,
every small chance to say,
“I am still here,
fully present.”
They’re in your willingness
to remain open to the other
and not shut down.
And—you can’t do it alone.
You’ve got to look at the person across from you
and really look.
Because when you do,
you’ll see someone who is scared,
like you.
Who is tired,
like you.
Who still wants this,
just like you.
Now either you heal together
or you fall apart.
That’s life.
That’s love.
And the truth is,
that’s what living with someone you love
is all about.
It’s about standing up for those inches
because when you add up all those inches,
that’s the difference
between love surviving
and love dying.