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Original poster

How realistic is it to feel 'in love' with your DH after 10+ years of marriage?

31 replies

joshandjamie · 16/05/2013 22:54

or does it shift to 'just' love?

I am asking this on behalf of someone. Personally I feel that the 'in love' goes and the 'love' lasts. But she feels that the 'in love' (the giddy, heart thumping, romance) is vital and the fact that it hasn't spells the end of her marriage.

Is she unrealistic?

OP posts:
ouryve · 16/05/2013 22:56

I'm still in love with DH, after that much time together. Not the same regarding lst, but neither of us can be arsed, so it's mutual.

Ex H, I was way out of love with after 5 years. We somehow limped on to 10 before I left.

TerrysNo2 · 16/05/2013 22:57

I've been with DH for 10 years and married for 6.

I don't have the same feelings as when we were first together but I love him deeply and every now and then I get a rush of that early days feeling.

So, IMO it does change and it's not such a rollercoaster of emotions but it's still fab! Grin

TerrysNo2 · 16/05/2013 22:59

to be clear, I love him miles more now, just that heart thumping feeling isn't soi frequent. just re-read post and wanted to clarify. doh Grin

OddBoots · 16/05/2013 23:02

It seems like 'in love' means different things to different people I've not had "the giddy, heart thumping, romance" since I was a teenager but after 15y of marriage dh is the man I trust and respect, the one who makes me smile and laugh even at the end of a long day and the one makes the earth move for me, and who feels the same of me - to me that's being in love.

CooEeeEldridge · 16/05/2013 23:03

Not married, been together 7 years, still swoon when I see him unexpectedly. More 'in love' than the early days, scares me a bit actually. Feel v lucky and worry awful things will happen.

RhondaJean · 16/05/2013 23:05

14 years married next month, and I still get terribly excited when he is due home from work Blush

ZombiesAteMyBaby · 16/05/2013 23:06

I've been with DH for 18 years and I still get that "giddy, heart thumping, romance", and butterflies in my stomach when he walks in, I still feel "in" love with him.

But....I don't always feel like that (would be bloody exhausting if I did), and there have been times when I haven't felt like for a really long time (years). The thing with marriage (or any long term relationship) is good and bad times. We've had our far share of bad times, and we've come close to divorce a few times TBH. I do think as long as the love is there on both sides then that in love feeling can come back if both partners work at.

BriansBrain · 16/05/2013 23:06

I feel in love, he can still make me catch my breath or just grin like a Cheshire Cat for no reason at all.

It doesn't happen as much as it used to but with us both working and DC to look after it is easy to let other things get in the way.

He is still the first person I think to call when I need to blurt some news.

And in equal measures he is a grumpy annoying twat at times Grin

Debs75 · 16/05/2013 23:08

I've been with DP for 18 years now and we can honestly say we love each other more now than we have ever done. The first few years were just constant lusty shaggingGrin alongside raising a family(we started young) There was a lot of passion which led to a lot of arguing.
Now after a long gap and then 2 more dc's we are happy and settled and starting to really enjoy ourselves together. I look at him now and think 'I really love this man' and we still keep the romance going.

I think feelings change over time and whist you may not have the heart thumping feelings you have a deeper feeling of love.

I better not let him see this he will think I have gone all soppy on him

DeafLeopard · 16/05/2013 23:08

Been with DH over 20 years and married for 16. Still in love with him, and love him very deeply. He infuriates me from time to time, as I do him, but I also get a wee frisson of excitement when I catch sight of him / see his number come up on my phone.

I realise that we are very lucky to still feel this way about each other.

Ledkr · 16/05/2013 23:09

I find at certain non pmt times I feel fluttery in love like the early days.
He's gorgeous and I do sometimes have a stomach flip when I see him half naked or dressed nicely.
I also feel a bit lost when he first goes back to work after his days off and very excited when I know we have time together.
He's still my favourite person to do stuff with and we still laugh like idiots when we should be going to sleep.
Been together 7 yrs were married a few weeks after we met.
He does annoy me hugely at times though.

BOF · 16/05/2013 23:16

I think it can last, even though it might not have that desperate insecure quality of when you first meet. Again, it hasn't been quite 10 years for me, but over seven, and off the top of my head, just today I was randomly thinking 'God, he's the most perfect loveliest man in the world', and even when I'd only just left the room after chatting to him this evening, I sighed to myself 'I'm so in love with you'. I can't see all that changing in just three years.

BriansBrain · 16/05/2013 23:20

It is nice to know someone Realy does have your back, doesn't matter what my day brings he can always raise a smile even f I'm smiling at the idiot I married 10 years ago.

We have been through so much togeather and it has been as hard as it has been happy.

IHateSafeStyle · 17/05/2013 04:22

Totally agree with BriansBrain and the other longer termers, we're 20 years together this year.

I have found that there can be peeks and troughs, there are times of utter bliss, but have also been what have I done moments too Grin

Ultimately I still want to be here and so does he. A shared history replaces those new goose pimplely feelings.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 17/05/2013 06:19

I'm not going to say whether she's realistic or not because how she feels about her DH (or how she wants to feel) is important to her & personal to her. Maybe what she's actually telling you here is that there is no 'spark', no romance in their relationship any more? That it's become boring, a grind, there's no spontaneity or that she feels she is being taken for granted?

I used to know an elderly couple who had been together 50+ years. My favourite memory was at her birthday party. She was turning 80 and he'd just bought her some new boots. "They look lovely" he said with a twinkle, "then again, you've always had a smashing pair of legs". She blushed like a school-girl....

LaQueen · 17/05/2013 14:52

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LaQueen · 17/05/2013 15:09

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FruitSaladIsNotPudding · 17/05/2013 15:14

I think it comes and goes. If you NEVER feel like that it might be an issue. Pregnancy/bfing/very young children are good at killing off those feelings imo, but they should come back.

BadgersRetreat · 17/05/2013 15:16

14 years married next month, and I still get terribly excited when he is due home from work

^^ yep me too Blush

TheOrchardKeeper · 17/05/2013 15:17

Aww that's a lovely story cogito Smile

It's nice to read experiences of those in long term relationships.

My Gparents (together since they were 21, now in their 60s) both said at my uncle's wedding (once a bit tipsy) that the most fulfilling part of marriage is when that giddy, lusty thing makes way for the deeper, stronger, 'entwined roots' sort of love. I hope that wasn't just the booze talking or I'll be quite dissapointed! Grin

peteypiranha · 17/05/2013 18:50

We have been married ten years next year and our relationship is still very passionate. We like to be close though, and spend a lot of nights in curled up and snogging. We are still quite young though but I dont see it changing.

We just fancy each other a lot I think thats the key really.

DeafLeopard · 17/05/2013 23:53

LaQueen " it's not perfect, we can fight like cat&dog - but, I think that's only because we still feel very passionately about each other, and we could never be indifferent to each other."

Totally agree with this in spite of the lovely things I said earlier about our marriage, not every day is full of love - some days I want to kill divorce him.

LaQueen · 18/05/2013 13:34

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JamieandtheMagicTorch · 18/05/2013 23:13

We've been together for 22 years, married for 15. I do get excited when he comes home from work, but although I am always aware that I love him, and that he's very handsome, I wouldn't say it is giddy.

I do think it's easy to get a bit, what I call "semi-detached" and when We become aware that is happening we make an effort to reconnect. Unlike LaQUeen, we don't have fireworks, just a bit of taking for granted and not quite being in the moment with each other.

I know the depth of my feelings for him, and the respect I have when I talk about him to other people. He is as near perfect a husband and father as I could imagine.

AlfalfaMum · 18/05/2013 23:25

I've been with my DH for 10.5 years, and do still feel 'in love' with him. I definitely fancy him too :o
There have been some difficult times in our relationship, where I've still loved him but not really felt 'in love', partly due to depression on my side but also due to the natural ebb and flow of our relationship.
A deeper love can grow from working through your problems together and coming out the other side.

If I loved my DH just 'as a friend', well that wouldn't be enough for me. I need passion.