One of the essential parts of a healthy relationship is making each other a priority. It’s a mutual respect that erases any doubt that your partner loves you. How can you tell if you’re at the top of their list or only a last consideration?
Being a couple means you take importance in one another’s lives. However, that doesn’t mean one becomes a doormat to the other’s demands and wishes. It’s all about committed teamwork and making occasional sacrifices in the name of love.
Instead of a narrow towpath, your life together is a two-lane highway where communication flows freely. There’s enough space to consider your needs and wants and prioritize them. Love is work, but it’s always worth it in the long run.
When considering being a couple, you must remember that two is company, and three can be a crowd. Just because you’re together doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten your family ties. Prioritizing the bonds with family and each other can minimize many misunderstandings and offenses.
According to an article by The University of Florida, creating solid boundaries is critical. While you love your extended family, you must establish your own family space. Maintaining closeness with in-laws while maintaining strong bonds with your mate is possible.
How Do You Know if You’re Their Number One Priority?
You and your significant other have pledged to stand by each other for life. What are some things they say and do to make you feel special? Here are some of the loving and respectful behaviors they may display.
1. They Pay Attention to You When You’re a Priority
Nothing is too insignificant for them to notice when your mate considers your relationship a priority. They understand what makes you tick and what brings the most joy to your life. When you feel sad or hurt, they instinctively know without verbal communication.
Your partner strives to make you feel special every day. It can be a loving text, a little note on the fridge, or a bouquet “just because.” They offer you sincere compliments and notice what you’re wearing or anything different you’ve done to your hair.
2. They Know the Meaning of Being a Couple
You’re both past the age of puppy love that you had in junior high school. However, is the love your partner shares with you mature, or is it still in teenager mode? You both need a partner who understands the freedoms and responsibilities of a committed relationship.
There’s no room for “big I” and “little u” in a loving partnership. You work together and lift one another during the low times. A good partner understands that couples will go through things that can either make or break them.
3. When Your Relationship is a Priority, Your Partner Is in Your Corner
Sometimes, it’s reassuring to have someone be on your side, whether you’re right or wrong. When your lover has your back, your relationship is a priority. If someone offends you or makes you angry, they are angry and offended, too.
You don’t have to worry about them taking somebody else’s side. However, they know how to communicate honestly with you when you may be in the wrong. You are their primary concern, and they have your best interests at heart.
They may argue with you and have a few choice words, but nobody else is better try to do the same. They’ll defend you and won’t let someone make you look bad. That goes for friends, family, or anyone who makes the mistake of trying.
4. They Show Gratitude for the Relationship
Doesn’t it feel wonderful when your person is grateful for you? According to an article by Utah State University, partners who express gratitude feel more positive about each other. It can also strengthen your loving connection.
They express gratitude for specific things about you or the things you do. They’ll go the extra mile to help you because they appreciate all you do for them. It’s their way of showing respect and making your togetherness a priority.
5. They Ask for Your Opinions if You Are the Priority
Nobody likes to feel that their voice and opinions don’t matter. The relationship isn’t a priority if your significant other doesn’t consider your thoughts and ideas. Someone who loves you will respect you enough to ask how you feel about situations.
For example, how would you feel if they booked your vacation to the mountains and your heart longed for the beach? You’d probably be offended because they didn’t have the courtesy to discuss it. True love means that a couple listens to each other and has mutual respect for differing opinions during communication.
6. They Create a Healthy Balance of the Relationship, Work, and Home
Even if you work for yourself at home, balancing a career with family responsibilities can be a challenge. Let’s face it, romance without financial security could be a recipe for disaster, and you both must work. However, your partner seeks a healthy balance and prioritizes your relationship.
Not only do they share in financial responsibility, but also with house chores. They prioritize their days off to complete needed tasks and spend quality time with you. They realize that emotional support is just as important as financial provisions.
7. They Have Excellent Communication
Silent partnerships may work in businesses, but they can destroy loving relationships. How can a couple connect unless they have honest communication? Guessing how each other feels only ends up in misunderstandings and hard feelings.
When you’re a priority to them, they value meaningful conversations with you. They have excellent active listening skills and listen more than they talk. They use open body language, don’t interrupt, and ask open-ended questions for clarification.
8. They’re Willing to Compromise
Since a couple involves two people, it stands to reason that you’ll have two opinions also. If your romantic ties are only one-sided, someone isn’t being honest with themselves. Genuine love has the grace to compromise and the sense to know when to do it.
Compromises can be insignificant, such as buying chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Some can be serious, like decisions about finances or living arrangements. Whenever there’s a difference of opinion, your partner makes you a priority and knows how to compromise when necessary.
9. They Don’t Plan Things Without Talking to You
Imagine you drag through your front door after an exhausting day at work. You’re looking forward to drawing a hot bath and relaxing. Just as you’re ready to turn on the tap, your partner walks in and informs you that they agreed to meet their boss and his wife for dinner.
Not only does such a scenario show lack of respect, but it shows that you’re not a high priority. It would have been different if the two of you had discussed it before they made plans. Communication with one another for such events can make home life smoother and less stressful.
10. They Plan the Future with You
When you’re a committed couple, the future is no longer an “I” but a “we.” Your goals are mutual and include the other’s thoughts and opinions. If plans are still in the “I, me, mine” mode, it may be time to have a serious discussion.
Do they plan to spend the rest of their life with you? Are you on the same page concerning having children, career goals, where to live, or even retirement plans? These significant decisions require input from both partners, not just one.
11. They Know How to Apologize and Forgive
There’s no such thing as a perfect person, and there never will be. Regardless of how much you and your mate love each other, you’ll make mistakes. What matters is that both partners know how to apologize and forgive when it happens.
When your partner hurts you, are they quick to apologize and make amends? If you ask forgiveness from them, do they forgive or hold a grudge forever? Offenses and mistakes may be inevitable, but true love prioritizes forgiveness.
12. Spending Quality Time With You Is a Priority
Being a couple is challenging if you’ve no time for each other. Work and other responsibilities can be so overwhelming that your mate’s importance can gradually decline. Soon, your strangers are living in the same house with nothing to say to each other.
Quality time, respect, effective communication, and meaningful conversations are the bonds that keep a couple together. Plan date nights and other romantic getaways and make them just as important as anything for work. Remember that nobody gets to the end of their life and wishes they’d spend more time in the office.
Final Thoughts on Understanding the Signs That Your Partner Makes Your Relationship a Priority
Being a committed couple means you prioritize each other in word and deed. You want to feel special and know you are their “number one.” It strengthens your bonds, you respect one another, and your love can last a lifetime.
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