Linda Carroll shares her professional and personal insights into the reality of maintaining a lasting, loving relationship. She describes the stages of relationships, each with distinct characteristics and accompanying lessons. There’s an evolution happening within each relationship that forces us to make important decisions about ourselves and the trajectory of our personal growth. Carroll reminds us that love isn’t just about riding happily into the sunset. Most relationships will cycle through changes and challenges. “The trouble isn’t that love goes in cycles, not that there are hard times or long periods of disconnection, the trouble is what we do during those times.” She suggests that practicing the skill of generosity can be one of the most important factors in a lasting relationship. We learn that small but important gestures can make all the difference. Beginning to end, we are each on our own journey. “There are times we need to stand on our own, stand together and stand apart.”