Last year, when I went home, something like this happened:
Many people came to visit my grandfather, and my sister and brother-in-law, who had been married for three years, also came to my house.
When my sister and brother-in-law were together, many people thought they were childhood sweethearts. They fell in love in high school and nurtured their feelings secretly.
Even though they attended different universities, whenever there was a break, my brother-in-law would buy a ticket to visit my sister. To this day, he still has a bunch of tickets leading to her.
After eight years of a long-distance relationship, they got married. Despite the eight-year courtship, their marriage didn’t turn out as blissful as everyone expected.
During the Chinese New Year this year, we could see that their relationship had lost its spark.
Sitting at the dinner table, they only focused on themselves, no longer sharing food like they used to when they were dating.
After dinner, my brother-in-law said he had to leave and drive home. Despite having a drink, my sister didn’t remind him not to drive. It was someone else who had to step in.
The once talkative couple now didn’t even bother warning each other about dangers like drinking and driving.
They say, “Marriage is the grave of love.” Once love enters marriage, it can sometimes lead to a deadlock.
You’ll notice that even before marriage, couples can be lovey-dovey, but after tying the knot, they can become indifferent.
After returning home, my brother-in-law called my grandfather, and they had a heartfelt conversation over the phone.
From their words, it was clear that their feelings had changed. Their love was fading, and they were becoming increasingly indifferent to each other.
When my brother-in-law called after returning home, he only greeted my grandfather and didn’t bother to ask about his own wife.
Sometimes, life can erase the warmth in our love. When one person becomes indifferent to the other, and the other reciprocates, the relationship is already in a stalemate.
Life’s greatest hurt is the other person’s indifference. When someone is indifferent towards you, a glance or a few words can make your heart turn cold.
Right after graduating from high school, I went to Tokyo. To experience life, I found a job as a waiter in a small restaurant. Although the restaurant was small, it was part of a chain from Beijing, well-known nationwide.
Working at the restaurant, I learned about the relationship between the owner and his wife, who was forty years younger.
I was shocked to find out that the owner, in his sixties, was married to a woman in her twenties.
One day, the wife was drinking in the restaurant till late, and the owner rushed over out of concern.
Despite occasional arguments, when one faces difficulties or gets upset, the other is always there to support.
Many employees at the restaurant doubted the relationship due to the significant age gap. However, those who understood saw how caring they were towards each other and believed they would go a long way.
In a relationship, as long as both aren’t indifferent and help each other through tough times, age won’t be a barrier. Despite the doubts, these two remained true to each other, showing that with time, earnestness pays off, and both will go the distance.
No matter how handsome or compatible you are with someone, if both of you are indifferent, the relationship will eventually fade.
Once, I watched a TV show called “Love Defense War,” and there was a story like this:
A girl found her boyfriend getting close to her best friend. This made her angry, so she cut off contact with both her friend and her boyfriend, initiating a cold war.
As the standoff continued, their relationship grew colder. The boyfriend didn’t want to give up and went on the show, seeking advice.
Onstage, he explained everything. It turned out, the girl’s father was ill, and he sought help from her friend to support her family. Knowing his girlfriend cared about her image, he didn’t tell her.
Feeling her boyfriend and best friend were getting too close, the girl wanted to break up and started the cold war.
Her actions made the boyfriend feel misunderstood and attacked his character. So, he too became distant during the cold war.
This back and forth continued for a year, and their love grew weaker.
Sometimes, it’s best not to jump to conclusions before understanding the situation. The people around you might be trying to help, even if it seems otherwise.
In this world, silent treatment is the most hurtful. Whether in love or marriage, facing emotional neglect torments the soul.
Some people deeply care for each other but choose to be distant or use emotional abuse to hurt the other.
Life is tough, so cherish the moments. Both love and marriage require effort from both sides. If you only take and give emotional abuse, one day the other person will leave, unable to bear the torment. Many end up destroying their own love and blame others in the end.