Love and Romance

A Bend couple clashed constantly; both were driven planners competing over every decision. Learning to take turns leading and receiving brought peace. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief that … Read more

A Pasadena attorney won every negotiation but could not rest or accept help. Reconnecting with her softer side restored her energy. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief that how … Read more

I once believed leading in a relationship meant making every decision myself. I picked the restaurants, planned the weekends, and settled every debate. Then one evening my partner asked, very quietly, “Do I get a vote in any of this?” Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more

A few years ago, a woman I was dating asked me a simple question over dinner: “What was your father like?” I changed the subject so fast she laughed. Two weeks later, I ended things and told myself we were just not compatible. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of … Read more

His phone goes everywhere with him, even to the bathroom, and he laughs at messages he no longer shows you. Nothing is certain, yet a knot in your stomach keeps whispering that something between the two of you has changed. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more

You can share a bed, a home, and a bank account with someone and still feel like strangers at the dinner table. Emotional intimacy closes that gap, and the good news is that any couple can learn to build it. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more

Every argument between Tope and her husband follows the same script: she raises a concern, he goes quiet, she pushes harder, and he leaves the room. The topics change from week to week, but the underlying pattern stays the same. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more

A cousin of mine left her husband four times before she left for good. Each time, the family asked the same question: “Why does she keep going back?” It took me years to see that she was not weak. She was caught in a bond built on fear and hope at once. Pious ClementsPious Clements … Read more

Someone I know paid his girlfriend’s rent for eighteen months. First it was “just this once,” then “until my new job starts,” then it simply became how things were. When he finally asked her to contribute, she accused him of not really loving her. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions … Read more

Three years after leaving her, a Mesa sales rep realized she had been the one who made him calmer and kinder. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief that how … Read more

Distance rarely ends a relationship by itself; what ends it is silence that grows, trust that thins, and a future nobody plans. Handle those three things with care, and the miles between you become a test your love can pass. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more

A Lubbock engineer thought dating required a bigger salary. His future wife noticed something else: his kindness when a waitress spilled coffee on him. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the … Read more

I once spent eight months as a woman’s favorite listener. I drove her to the airport, fixed her laptop, and heard about every date that went nowhere. I never told her how I felt, and I quietly resented her for not guessing. I was stuck in the friend zone. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, … Read more

An old friend called me at two in the morning the night she found the messages. She did not want advice. She wanted someone to tell her if leaving or staying made her weak. I told her the truth: neither choice did, but only she could make it. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, … Read more

A late reply becomes proof they are pulling away, and a quiet evening turns into a silent verdict on your whole relationship. That is relationship anxiety at work, and learning to recognize it can protect your peace and your partnership. Pious ClementsPious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life … Read more