“I was dating a girl long distance (Uk to the US). One of my friends tried to talk me out of it as they didn’t want me to be bogged down. It was a long and difficult series of conversations to see if we should continue or if we were wasting time and limiting one another. I cannot remember how or why but I brought up ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and asked her about the ending.

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s characters, knowing they had dated and deleted the memories of their failed relationship, meet again and start to fall for one another again. When the subject of their relationship comes serious Kate says that they’ll just go down the same path again, doomed to failure. Carrey says “Okay” and the movie ends with the two laughing through their emotions repeating “Okay.”

She believed that it meant that even if the relationship was known to be doomed it was worth continuing because it was what they wanted in that moment and to sacrifice an experience because that experience may end (poorly or otherwise) is a dumb way to live.

So we decided to just ignore my friend’s concerns and keep dating. Come what may. Today is our 11th wedding anniversary.”

-Stkbayfield