A lifetime of romance

It has long been a common belief that, once the first flush of excitement is over and you're in for the long haul, the romance goes out of the relationship.
However, according to a new study it's not necessarily the case.
Using the data from 25 studies of 6,070 people, both in long and short term relationships, researchers Bianca Acevedo and Arthur Aron of the University of California attempted to find out who were the most satisfied with their relationships.
Distinguishing between romantic, passionate and companionate love, the study found that those whose long-term relationships still involved romance were the happiest couples. No surprises there!
Those experiencing companionate love were 'moderately satisfied' whether in the short term or long term, whilst the passionate ones were very satisfied but only for a limited period of time.
Writing in the Review of General Psychology, the researchers said: "Contrary to what has been widely believed, long-term romantic love... appears to be a real phenomenon that may be enhancing to individuals' lives.
"This could also be distressing for long-term couples who have achieved a kind of contented, even happy – but not intensely romantic – status quo, assuming it is the best anyone can expect."
So it seems romance really can last a lifetime... but for the 'moderately satisfied' among us it may just be a distant memory!