All joking aside from the title, relationships are not about survival, they're about thriving. I personally haven't been in many legitimate relationships, but these are a few things that my current girlfriend has taught me without her even knowing. I hope that they are useful to you and your relationship.

1) Let her vent. Guys, I get it, your days can be long and the last thing you want to here about is the drama that is going on in your girlfriend's best friend's sister's boyfriend's life. What may seem irrelevant or unimportant to you, may mean a lot to her. She may not even need you to talk, just an ear to listen. If you don't allow her to vent about the little and the big things, you'll find that she'll start to become emotionally non-present and she'll get the feeling that you don't care, even if you really do. So, the next time she sees a cow on the side of the road and tells a lifestory about how much she loves cows, don't blow her off, just listen.

2) Be spontaneous. Life is WAY to short to live and die by the calendar and schedule. Don't get me wrong, you have to get your daily tasks done and stay productive, however, find sometime to do little things for her. My girlfriend loves McDonald's fries and McFlurries with extra M&M's, if I'm out and she's stressing from studying, I'll get those for her because I know she appreciates the fact that I'm thinking about her. Go on an unplanned date or take her on a late night drive, it doesn't even have to cost anything, your company (if she really loves you) is almost always enough.

3) Don't mess with her friends. Fellas, you may THINK your opinion and stand point on something is important, but always remember her best friends will have the final stay. I personally enjoy all of my girlfriends friends, which is awesome because I've been in situations where I don't really like them. It can be a difficult concept to cope with because as men we like to think we're the most important person in their life, and don't get me wrong you are but not for ALL aspects of life. She still needs her friends to vent about problems she may not feel completely comfortable talking about with you or even venting about YOU. Don't try and restrict her being with her friends because in the end she'll resent you for it.

To Be Continued...