Each day of connection with a loved one is a rare gift.  As we grow and change, our connection with others also shifts.  W. Somerset Maugham once wrote, "We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person. "

While I resonate with this, I think that there is more to be said:  It takes courage and willingness to work on ourselves to be open to loving another through all the changes of life.  Relationships are not static, and the gift of love is that we can embrace our own and another's change with courage, compassion and an open heart. 

When we find ourselves resisting our own or someone else's changing nature, it is an opportunity to look inward.  While not always easy,  the process is rich with personal growth and an increasing ability to create an ever deepening intimacy with yourself and your loved one. 

So today...just for a moment...celebrate your capacity to love and be loved in the changing moments of your life...honor the courage and conviction it takes to get up each morning and begin anew again!