When starting a relationship, it is important to be as honest as possible with yourself and the other party regarding your expectations of the relationship. Even if this is the case, over time we genuinely change our expectations. Since over years as we develop our own identity, we normally but not always, grow apart more than we grow closer to one another. We get in a relationship for different reasons, e.g. financial reasons, sex, having a family, having a trusted friend, a travel partner, companionship, and so on. Over the years these might change e.g. not wanting more children, or the financial help, wanting other people for companionship. Simply put, our needs change. I believe relationships lasts because of our "needs". As our needs become less, relationships may weaken. Of course there are external factors as well such as culture, society expectations, religion. Don't be the Blockbuster, accept the reality and facts of life and move with it. You can't fight reality and facts Break ups don't have to be hard, we make them hard and the law makes it difficult. Life will be easier to accept the change and move on. Look forward to the excitement ahead, and do not regret the past. Remember that "change" is exciting, that is why we do not want to repeat our past 5 yrs of lives and at the same time do not want to skip the next 5 yrs. In any war/fight both parties lose, one party more than the other, and in any working together/cooperation both parties gain, one party more than the other Change the way you feel by changing the way you think. The excitement of what life has ahead of us makes life interesting while thinking of the past makes us stay stagnant and rot. Any relationship normally last because of a "need and not want". And as we get to be more independent, relationships weaken. For safety reasons, no questions for this episode :)