PCN 530 LOVE STORY AND STAGES OF THE ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

They believed it was love at first sight, Maddie and Peter started as mutual friends. Maddie had been traveling with a certain tin theater company. After one of the performances, it was already snowing and this slowed them leaving for the next town that night. After the performance, she stood on one of the corridors, and two men came in through a heavy metal door, their shoes covered in snow. One of them said he wished that they saw some serious theater, and this caught the better part of Maddie as she started lecturing them. And one of them placed his hands on her shoulder and whispered into her ears “I love you.” And asked her for a walk and she resisted saying it was not safe walking with strangers in the night. Already she had a nickname for this guy “Bear” since he was big and bearlike and wore an Irish wool sweater. Maddie walked away to her hotel room to rest for the remaining part of the night. The next morning, Maddie left for the coffee shop. Maddie was surprised to see the bear seating on the opposite table, then there were a few glances and Peter had the courage to walk up to her. This was a surprise for her but she liked his brevity, courage and he was charming as well. Peter was already in love with her smile. And a conversation kicked on their hobbies and interests. This was just the beginning of something big. They met for more lunch dates and dinners.

But after some time, there were problems in their relationship as they all started focusing on each other’s differences and there were fights each and every day. But they decided to see a counselor who took them through some guidance and they actually overcame this and learned to live with each other. Their thrill of love began once again and it was actually better than when they started dating. It was all fun again, there was a feeling of belonging and power. One day, Peter took Maddie out for dinner little did she know this was the beginning of something greater. In the middle of their dinner, Peter went on his knees and proposed to her. Five months later they held a very glamorous wedding. A year later Maddie gave birth to a beautiful girl.

Stages of Their Relationship/ Characteristics.

The first stage was the attraction/ romance stage. This was when they met and there was an attraction and they started dating and enjoying their love and feelings for each other. At this stage, it is full of love and the initial attraction often rooted in beauty and similarity. The second stage they went though as the build up/power struggle stage, this was when they had fought and focused on each other’s differences and decided to seek help. At this stage, partners rather than seeing their similarities, they start paying attention to their incompatibilities and flaws and hence begin trying to change their partners to what they thought they were and punish them for not being that way. At this stage partners reveal more about their private selves, they get irritated by each other as well.

The third stage they went through was, overcoming the power struggle stage. This was when they decided to get help and learned to live with each other’s differences. At this stage, partners learn to live with each other’s incompatibilities, they learn to share power, give up delusions, and give in to life as it is.

The fourth stage they went through was the continuation/commitment stage. This was when Peter proposed to Maddie and they got married. At this stage, partners learn to live with each other and there is a balance of love, dominance, love, and flexibility.

The fifth stage was the co-creation stage. This was when Maddie gave birth to a baby girl. At this stage, partners become individuals who have chosen to be a squad which moves out into the world. Some work in an enterprise together, a charity or start a family.

REFERENCES

Bruce Muzik in relationship advice 2016. (http://www.loveatfirstfight.com/relationship-advice/relationship-stages/)

Changing Minds.Org 2016. (http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/stage_theory.htm)

Princess Braxton-Davis Grand Valley State University McNairs Scholars Journals (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent)

Dorian Minors July 17, 2015 (http://thedirtpsychology.org/coming-together/)