“The times they are a-changing.”

Bob Dylan wrote and sang these lyrics almost fifty-four years ago. Many of us of a certain age believed that Bob was ahead of his time, but it’s safe to say that not even the great Dylan was envisioning 2020 back in those relatively innocent days of 1964.

Even if you are married or in a committed romantic relationship, you still need to have other relationships in your life. Usually, these relationships are with friends or co-workers. It's possible to be friends with another person without crossing the line into something more.

However, if you think about this person throughout the day, deliberately change your routine to connect with this person, begin fantasizing about what life would be like with them, and begin comparing this person with your spouse, you are crossing a line.

These connections can sometimes evolve into what is commonly known as an emotional affair.

Just because your situation isn’t physical, doesn’t mean that what you are doing is right. An emotional affair can have just as big of an impact on your committed relationship as a physical one.

Once you cross the line from friendship or co-worker into something more, it’s difficult to repair the damage that your spouse and other family members will suffer due to your behavior.