This Is What ‘Relationship Goals’ Are, Because It’s Not Cute Instagram Posts

Do you speak tenderly to one another? Do you behave in caring and respectful ways?

Thought Catalog
3 min readJan 16, 2024
Victoria Roman

By Molly Burford

When you hear the phrase “relationship goals,” you probably think about those Instagram posts couples share of their big, photo-worthy moments. For example, the romantic proposal at the spot where they had their first date. Or maybe you imagine their subsequent (and equally stunning) beachside wedding. Or perhaps you reference their first home purchase of a house that appears as though it was built just for them, no renovations necessary.

While these things are absolutely milestones that should be celebrated, these only show a snippet of the full picture. The highlight reel. The punctuation marks. The outline. The edges. What these posts we comment “relationship goals!” on don’t show are the in-between instances that make a love story what it truly is. And I’d argue the spaces that break up those Instagrammable moments are the most important and romantic of all.

Well, at least they can be. Because when the honeymoon ends and you’re thrust back into real life with an email inbox that never seems to empty and dirty dishes constantly piling up in the sink and daily 6 AM alarms and the…

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