Do light bulb relationships ever last?

We all know them. We’ve all been there for the flashes. Perhaps we’ve even been a member of one. You know what I’m talking about: the infamous on-again-off-again relationship… I like to call them light bulbs. As a soon to be happily married female, I’m not afraid to admit that I have experienced this phenomenon first hand in the past. My current relationship, however, has been lights on all the time… no power outages, not even short ones. My light bulbs never lasted, and it seems to me that in hind sight, I always knew that once the light was extinguished, it would never burn as brightly as before. So I ponder the question of what advice should be given to the friend whose relationship is always breaking up and then getting back together. Isn’t it best to help them to break the cycle, cut their losses, and move on to a healthier happier future sooner rather than later? Or is it always best to stay on the sidelines and cheer them on with hope, even if we suspect that they are headed for a relationship Ground Hog Day. How many repeats does it take to get it right, or are they just trying to force something that has always been wrong. I don’t know of any light bulbs that have managed to overcome their yo-yo ways and make it work after all. I can’t help but wonder… do light bulb relationships always burn out?