Imagine gathering on the couch with hot cocoa to watch that romantic Hallmark movie and enjoying the Christmas spirit with the love of your life by your side. Or even a picnic on the beach listening to the waves crash and with the colorful, vibrant sunset in the background. Perhaps you both go to Disneyland and experience the nostalgic Disney magic. Take all of that in, and imagine experiencing these events with the person that you love most by your side. It’s what everyone wants, but what could make it so difficult? 

There are so many factors that go into making love feel so comforting and special, but there are also many that make it difficult. This can be seen in the relationship between Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, and Desdemona, a Venetian lady. Throughout the play, many events occurred that tested their relationship. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare,  Iago makes Cassio, Othello’s lieutenant, talk to Desdemona to make Othello jealous. As if it wasn’t enough having Cassio talk to Desdemona while she’s in a relationship, he went as far as to hint it to Othello. Cassio being in the middle of their relationship made it tough for them to maintain love. He interfered with their relationship, and planted thoughts into Othello’s mind about Desdemona’s loyalty. 

Another factor that makes love difficult is the gender stigma that our society experiences. A lot of the time, women are seen as lesser than their male partner. Males normally have the upper hand because they’re seen as “stronger”, and “tougher” individuals. In some cases, this can cause a woman to feel protected and safe, but in other cases, these gender-stigma situations can be so serious and lead to verbal or physical abuse and even death. A study was done and these are the corresponding results: “The majority (6) of killings of women in the United States are related to intimate partner violence–and of these, 93 percent (7) are committed by current or former romantic partners”. Seeing these results is worrisome. What would it take for a woman to love their partner if they know that death and abuse is something that could happen to them? 

Last but not least, there’s the factor of distance. Let’s say you meet some attractive individual with the same humor, drive, and goals as you in life but they live 4 hours away. Are you willing to sacrifice your time to maintain love from this distance? You’d constantly be “visiting, traveling”, and communicating. It might not sound that difficult, but a great chunk of your time would be dedicated to this. 

External factors, gender stigma, and distance are just a few factors of life that make love so difficult. Of course, people want a significant other to experience the holidays, milestones, and overall life with. But, are they willing to overcome the obstacles to maintain lifelong love and relationships?