I've been in a long term relationship, on and off for about a year now. We made the decision in July to get back together, and since then I have learned so much about myself, and what it truly means to be in a relationship.

1) Patience

I've learned that everyone goes at their own pace in terms of opening up, needing to talk, or just dealing with issues in general. I've learned that patience is a essential ingredient in a relationship, and makes it so much stronger when it develops on both ends, and in fact it has in mine.

2) Honesty

I know for me in relationships, I have a lot of trouble opening up about how I really feel, and I used to lie about how I felt in order to please my significant other. My relationship has taught me that if we're not honest with each other, it's hardly even a real relationship if we can't even tell each other the truth. Honesty sometimes can be tough, but certainly can better a relationship.

3) Independence

I'm a Taurus. I LOVE indulging others, and indulging myself with love, but I do recognize that is not always a very healthy trait, so it's important that I am my own person, and that my boyfriend is his own. Our independence is so important to us, and we don't want to take that away from the other.

4) Communication

This is something that has gotten so much more progressively better. Communicating about how we feel, plans, and thoughts on things became so important in my relationship, and I'm glad I am with someone who takes the time to make sure everything is clear and that we're on the same page.

5) Confidence

In this relationship, there's been so much uplifting things said to one another, and I've truly been developing some form of confidence in myself that I've never really had before, and I'm super thankful for that.

6) I am Loved

I have a lot of trouble adapting to the idea that people actually care about me, so the fact that I've been in this relationship for so long, is astounding to me. I feel loved by him every day, and I'm so thankful for him. He is my best friend, and we both strive everyday to be the best versions of ourselves in our relationship, but also for ourself.