It is when we stay in a relationship over time – whether by necessity or choice – that our capacity for intimacy is truly put to the test. It is only in long-term relationships that we are called upon to navigate that delicate balance between separateness and connectedness and that we confront the challenge of sustaining both – without losing either when the going gets rough.

Harriet Goldhor Lerner, Ph.D.
The Dance of Intimacy