Strength is not a measure of power but of endurance. This is a phrase that my father told  me growing up. I never really understood it until I saw it associated with love.

Love is tested by what can be endured between two people, and whenever people make it through, the results can something beautiful.

Most people who read this might not have experienced real love yet, but that is okay. It will happen sooner or later, but for those who will experience it sooner, remember that a relationship isn’t just about two people, it’s about two people becoming one.

Just because love does not last does not mean it is not real. Some romances can be real and true and not last as long compared to those that do. Love is not measured with how long it survives — although others may argue that — but with how it was handled and the strength that it had.

I have two couples to use as an example. The first is older and met a party. The boy was immediately charmed by the girl across the room. Little did the boy know the girl had already heard of him and had already made an opinion of him.  Much to her surprise, he was nothing like others had described him. He was gentle in nature but still had a tough exterior. He was well spoken but understood how to not be pompous. Months would go by and what seemed like a summer romance became one of long distance. The two souls were tested by the distance and at times it was hard. However, they never stopped loving one another, and sooner rather than later the boy knew the love they had was worth fighting for. He flew back to ask her parents for her hand in marriage and they approved. To this day, these two are still together and their love could not be stronger.

The other couple, though much younger and less experienced, have a similar background. The girl was in the mindset that she had finally moved on from a previous relationship. Through the corner of her eye, she caught a glance of a boy speaking to her friend and was unsure if this situation made her friend uncomfortable. She went to see if her friend was okay. To her surprise, he was not hitting on her — they already knew each other. She and the mysterious boy danced the night away, and when she went to bed that night she had butterflies. The two are still together today, although not yet married.

When looking at these relationships, it reminds me that a relationship is not about two individuals. It is about two individuals coming together based on the love they share for each other. As my father once told me, strength is a measure of endurance, not power. A love that transcends distance and still prevails to create a partnership is a love that is strong and tested. All of us are more than capable of that strength.