They say that the course of true love rarely runs smooth, and there's certainly truth in that. Indeed, if everything seems to be going perfectly smoothly and there are no roadblocks or bumps at all, that suggests something is seriously amiss and simply not being addressed. It's a sign of more trouble, not less.

The key is knowing how to resolve conflict in a way that is healthy for both partners, ensuring that they are heard while minimizing the hurt done to the other partner. Couples can work together to make the course of their love run smoother than it might in the face of life's curveballs, from illness to job loss to having to be long distance to meddling relatives to all sorts of other challenges. The couples who make it are the ones who listen, who keep showing up emotionally and practically, who never place their own needs ahead of the team's or their partner's needs, and who remember to ascribe good motives to their boo's behavior rather than assuming the worst.

While women are typically assumed to be naturally better at relationships, generally their only advantage is that they get years of training based on this assumption; men are expected not to know how to do these things as well. Of course, the rewards for men who learn and show up as equals in the labor of the relationship are enormous, with true closeness and lasting love becoming likelier than not. The best couples both take the time and effort to keep on showing up for each other - and they get better with time. That's why we can probably figure out the length of your relationship just from learning how you handle the speed bumps and travails that life throws your way!