The Myth of Unconditional Romantic Love | Sober and Unashamed

My wife loves her cats more than she loves me.

That’s not intended as an attention-grabbing joke. It’s the absolute truth, and I’m OK with it.

One of our cats only has one eye, and is not particularly adept at cleaning himself, and he is her all-time favorite of the dozen-or-so cats she has had in her life. I am sure I’ve disappointed her by not knowing the precise number of fur babies she has nurtured during the past five decades, but that’s not the point. The point is that I rank behind a cyclops with matted fur, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I also rank behind our four kids. Also not really the point, but I don’t want you to think I’m right behind the cats, nipping at their heels. I’m pretty far down Sheri’s love rankings.

If you are an alcoholic in sobriety, working to restore trust to your recovering marriage, I bet you aren’t as high on your spouse’s love list as you think you are, either.

The reason is simple. It’s one of the most misunderstood components of romantic relationships. It is a little thing called unconditional love. A lot of us expect it to grow in places where it can never exist, like the lengthening alleys on either side of the top of my cranium where hair is becoming increasingly elusive. Unconditional love…