I am a millennial female who still loves the gentleman persona. Half of the people in our generation are trying to get rid of the "gentleman" stereotype while the other half is trying to keep it. I for one, am supporting the half that wants to keep it. I still believe in that 'old kinda love', the one our grandparents had; the one that is old-fashioned. Here are some things that I still want to keep in our millennial relationships.
1) Real Dates
Sure, Netflix is nice when it's raining outside, but whatever happened to the dates that people got dressed up for? The ones where you had to come knock on the door to pick up your girl, not the ones where you honked the horn for her to come out. Go out and explore with each other. Get out of the house and get to actually know each other away from the couch.
2) Flowers and Chocolate
I know this is so cliche but it is the small things that count! Sometimes we feel unappreciated in relationships because of everything that is going on. Flowers and chocolate go a long way; even ice cream or a hand written note! 3) Prayer
3) Prayer
Prayer is so important in our relationships. I love that my boyfriend prays before each meal and guides me towards Christ in everything that we do. Prayer is so underestimated in relationships.
4) Opening the Doors
Yes! This still needs to be a thing! There are so many girls today that get offended when guys open doors for them while some girls are begging for the opposite! We confuse guys so easily because half of us criticize them for doing something that the other half wants. Guys: keep opening the doors. It is incredibly respectful even if I do have both arms and can open it myself.
5) Real Conversations
Relationships over the internet or over text are not real relationships. You need to actually communicate with your significant other in person. Face to face contact is so much more important than getting a text every single minute. You really get to know someone better when you talk to them in person.
6) Respect
So many issues in relationships lie in the realm of respect. Relationships lack respect of money, space, family, personal, and physical aspects. We think that our boyfriend/girlfriend should buy us all these extravagant gifts and that we need to be up their butts all the time. *Newsflash* you don't. People don't respect their significant others family members or their significant other themselves. They think they know what's best for the other and that comes off in a controlling way. Next, physical aspects. Dating someone does not mean that you own their body and that you can get whatever you want whenever you want. You do not have the privilege of actual physical contact (and y'all know what I'm talking about) until you are married. Until then, respect one another's bodies.
I am a millennial female who still wants the gentleman persona. It does not mean that I am dependent on them, but that I still admire and desire that respect of the old fashioned dating world. Who's with me?!