Guys, Girls, Dating?

"Well, it's seems to me that the best relationships--the ones that last--are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch had been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is . . . suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with." --Gillian Anderson

Coming from a Christian background, there's sometimes a lot of emphasis on getting married and having children. Of course, this happens in the secular non-Christian world too. You know, you see that older woman, mid-thirties or older, and she's still single and people shake their heads and whisper to each other about that "poor girl." Of course, when a man is that age and older and isn't married others seem to just say "he's a bachelor" with no sorrow or scorn. Just fact.

Also, since I go to a Christian college, we have this little saying that goes "Ring by Spring!" because senior year, most girls seem to be getting engaged either over the summer, fall, or early spring. Now, I'm one of those strange girls who go about without a boyfriend. Yep, that's right. No boyfriend! I've never had one.

Now before you accuse me of being a lesbian, let's get a few things straight.

1. I like boys. I've had many a crush on a guy.
2. I want to get married, have kids, and spend the rest of my life with a lovely man who will protect me from evil wizards and brandish swords against Sauron and orcs . . . .
3. I'm okay waiting for the right guy.
4. If I date and it doesn't work out, okay. Move on and go forward.
5. It's cheaper being single. If I wanted to go traveling the world, I don't have to help pay for two people.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be loved. There's nothing wrong with wanting a girlfriend or boyfriend. But there is something wrong when that's all you can think about, and you can't seem to live a full life without a significant other. If you can't handle life on your own, what makes you think you can handle taking care of another person?

Someday, I will meet my future husband. But for right now, I'm all right with God saying "Wait." It means I can enjoy hanging out with my friends, traveling the world, and discovering who I am.

And that's okay. Just as long as I do have friends to fall back on.