It’s no secret that living with your significant other will change your relationship. But putting in the extra effort to ensure it changes for the better is something I had forgotten to do – until I began to notice the things my boyfriend did just to see me smile.

Perhaps I thought the effort wasn’t needed. We cared about each other and that was good enough, right? Wrong. And instead of pointing fingers, my boyfriend has stepped up.

1. He lets me be grouchy. Every couple has arguments (unless they’re straight up lying) and we’re no different. But rather than getting frustrated with my occasional grouchy behavior, he gives me the space I need to vent. If that’s not working, he lays on top of me to “crush me” or tickle me until I can’t help but crack up laughing.
2. He is enthusiastic about my whims. Whether it’s a request for a slurpee or to take a sudden overnight trip (now!), he’s on board whenever possible. Though it is most often a slurpee, my boyfriend has dropped his plans to accompany me on road trips and full-blown vacations at the last minute. We always have a blast because, instead of getting frustrated with a lack of planning or head’s up, he’s next to me gearing us up for the next part of the adventure. (Image above is our last adventure – kayaking on Lake Huron in the rain; we had a BLAST!)
3. He’s always surprising me. After lunch with a friend today, I returned home to a clean home and dinner being prepared. Are you kidding me? I’m not sure it gets much better than that.
4. He’s open and honest about where we’re heading in our relationship. There are no guessing games and I don’t hesitate to ask questions or share my own ambitions for us. We talk about our plans for the future and share our goals. It’s pretty incredible to have someone prioritize my goals right next to his own.
5. He let’s me teach him things and he’s patient when teaching me! Egos are a funny thing and mine sometimes gets in the way. Instead of taking over and showing me the way he has always done it, my boyfriend patiently let’s me teach him my own way of doing things…even when it’s ass-backward and he knows of 50 superior methods for accomplishing better results.

These acts of love has changed the way I view our relationship and, most outwardly obvious, my behavior toward him. Instead of permitting a mediocre relationship, he continuously goes the extra mile. This has caused me to have more patience, be more accepting and even change my own behaviors for the better.

Have you ever noticed yourself “slacking” in a relationship? What did you do to improve it?

Related posts:

1. 5 Things I’ve Learned Since Moving in With My Boyfriend
2. 3 Fears When Moving in With a Significant Other: When to NOT make the move
3. Moving in With My Best Friend: Horror Story & Great Times
4. Living Alone: Scared! Help!
5. Is Facebook or MySpace Interfering With Your Relationship?

Tags: advice, apartment with boyfriend, boyfriend, girlfriend, living with girlfriend, Recreation, Relationships, road trip, roommate, Significant other, travel