The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.

In order to cultivate a successful, long-term relationship, you have to learn how to cultivate a genuine desire for each other, and desire has to be constantly rekindled. I’m not talking about sexual desire, though that is included; I’m talking about the spark that affirms in your gut, I want to be with that person for the rest of my life.