There is the version of someone you wish you were dealing with.
And then there is the person in front of you.
The old pattern is to relate to the fantasy.
“If they just tried harder.”
“If they finally listened.”
“If they changed this one thing.”
You bargain with reality.
You argue with their wiring.
You exhaust yourself trying to edit another human being.
Acceptance is not giving up.
It is telling the truth about what someone consistently shows you—both the beauty and the limitation.
From there, you can make clearer choices.
How close do I stand?
What do I share?
Where do I need support elsewhere?
You stop treating every relationship like a project and start honoring it as it is.
Love, in this frame, is the willingness to see someone clearly and still hold their basic humanity, even if you step back.