I’m starting to think that I do not, and I suppose it will be one of the greatest tests I face. My partner is convinced that he will do anything for me, simply because “he loves me”, whereas I continue to have boundaries. They’re a bit of a hopeless romantic, honestly, and it seems like they’re trying to recreate a teenage-type love they never had.
I thought I was liked for more than my body, but that seems to be the main attraction here :/ And they almost seem offended when I don’t show the same level of interest in theirs and try to convince me to get on viagra or something (which is completely missing the point).
Yeah, I think that’s a good distinction to draw. Loving someone, even deeply and madly and truly, is not sufficient for a relationship. Love in a relationship has to be an open, working, two-way street. I love my mom, I genuinely want her to be happy, but I do not have a relationship with her, because she can’t love me or herself. Relationships are always conditional, that’s ultimately what boundaries are.