On Monday night, I attended what turned out to be my favorite Rose Scholars event of the semester. GRFs Andrew and Antonio led a discussion on romantic relationships—and what drives whether these relationships last or fail. Before the discussion, we all read Emily Esfahani Smith’s 2014 article “Masters of Love,” so we were familiar with the subject and excited to share our opinions. It was unanimous that we all considered kindness and compassion as paramount. In the article, Smith asserts how hurtful it is to one person when his/her partner shows no excitement when the other shares what he/she deems to be good news. Thinking back on a recent relationship, I now remember times at which I experienced this exact disconnect. Before reading the article, I had often wondered where things went wrong, but now I remember the sense of hurt and disappointment I experienced when my excitement was not warmly received.
It was really enjoyable hearing GRF Andrew’s story of meeting and eventually proposing to his wife of 10 years, and how communication is key in their relationship. Overall, what made this event stand out was the fact that I was able to connect with six other Rose Scholars and be a part of an hour-long discussion in a small group setting. I definitely plan to attend events like this next semester in Rose!
Hello Liz,
I probably rank this as my favorite Rose Scholars event as well. For one I got to meet an awesome person like you and GRFs Andrew and Antonio were just too much fun. No kidding, I’m still laughing at the pregnant joke. Anyway, I commend you for having the courage to speak about your past relationship especially since it didn’t end well. I loved the personal feel that the event had and all this talk of love truly helps me understand relationships better.
To wrap up to this long comment, I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the paper and I hope to see you at some other Rose events.
Hi Clarence,
I will still be laughing about that joke for a few days too :). I also really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the paper, especially regarding how men express emotions differently based on their upbringings. I hope to see you at another scholars event soon!
Liz
Hi!
I just read your post, and I wish I was able to attend this event! It sounds like you guys had a very constructive conversation. I have heard that communication is the key in a relationship, and I would have loved to hear everyone’s opinions on what makes for a healthy relationship!
I really wish I had been able to make it to this event. I love hearing stories of how people met but most importantly how they made it past the hurdles and came out stronger in the end. I think relationships take a lot of commitment, communication, and compassion. Every day is a new beginning and an opportunity to show the person you love how much they mean to you.