Exploring different types of relationships can open up new possibilities for finding happiness

One true love? The days of that myth are crumbling like the Valentine cookie in my backpack, and trust me ““ we’re all better off. Pink frosting is gross.

Your mother may incessantly ask you who that “friend” really is, but the answer to that question has simply come to have less credence with our generation, and with sound reason.

Some cultural pundits, as one might say, mourn our loss of regard for the traditional relationship and what it can come to mean for a happy marriage filled with runts tugging on our hems.

And such grief is based on the fact that the divorce rate is at about 50 percent, casually cohabiting couples are more common than ever, and child-rearing without marriage is an occurrence for which my generation does not double take.

But I wonder ““ couldn’t there be an advantage in feeling comfortable with less traditional modes of romance-seeking? Aren’t we, as we move toward labeling less and exploring more, giving ourselves more possibility for finding happiness?

Not to mention, those who do choose to pursue the more traditional methods are approaching it the smart way ““ slow and steady.

The commonly cited divorce rate is misleading. Not only will the statistic waver depending on the methods and cohorts used, but it dubiously suggests that the rate is rising. In fact, it is slowly declining while marital stability is shown to be on the rise.

Ever since women began attending college in significant numbers, people are getting married less often and later.

All this must mean that people are valuing their independence and their own financial stability before they embark on such a consequential decision. In fact, an education is one of the strongest indicators of having a healthy relationship.

But my point is, marriage or not, our current social condition has piloted the freedom for people to weigh their options. We are more disposed to sampling alternative forms of relationships, whether it be a monogamous, polyamorous, or casual one ““ but above all, ideally a life-altering one.

It is logical to follow then, that the more experience we tuck under our romantic belts, the better informed our judgment will become. We all either know people or have personally undergone a situation in which the possibility of leaving a damaging relationship is slim, purely because the thought that a new one will come along seems even slimmer.

The evolution of such a situation is bettered by our changing attitudes. Perhaps we’re moving toward an environment wherein we truly believe in the plausibility of several successful relationships. A broken heart is easier to deal with if we aren’t living under the threaded belief that we will encounter one real love in one real lifetime.

Whatever your opinion, these changes are happening and are thus inevitable.Opposing the tide doesn’t allow for victory ““ rather, you’re simply in for a slower loss. To embrace our fluidity toward relationships is to also embrace the grander trend ““ that societal norms are molded from the changes we see in the human condition, not the other way around.

So, in the spirit of Hallmark holidays, embrace your relationship for what it is ““ certainly not what it “should be.”

Think relationships are becoming too “modern”? E-mail Moradi at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].