“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“Nope. Never have actually. Maybe never will.” (Just kidding. Probably. I hope.)
The older I get, the more often this conversation occurs. It really doesn’t bother me, but I definitely notice it. It seems like all anyone wants to talk about these days is relationships. Sure, it’s a good topic, and it can be fun to talk about, but can we give it a rest? Just let me be single! I really love being single. I get to watch as many episodes of Parks and Rec as I want at a time, I can make last minute plans, and I can move and travel as much as I want. But man, do we really need to keep talking about what I’m apparently missing out on? God has been gracious enough to make me very content being single, but that doesn’t mean that having someone to watch out for me doesn’t sound nice. I wouldn’t mind having someone to laugh at Parks and Rec with me and to take me out on surprise dates. I really don’t need constant reminders that there might be someone out there to do those things.
Dating and relationships are important topics that should definitely be discussed. For other young Christians like me, it’s hard to keep track of God’s expectations versus the world’s expectations. Dating is a scary game to play, and there’s plenty of room to get hurt. Knowing the right thing to do in a relationship and actually doing the right thing are somehow two very different things. There is really nothing easy about relationships, so talking about it is good. For those of us who have little to no experience, being prepared will certainly benefit us. However, trying to over-prepare can only backfire.
There are plenty of things in life that are black and white. It is wrong to steal something. It is right to stop at a stop sign. Unfortunately, relationships can’t be forced into a formula. One can hypothesize on how to address certain situations, but there are only so many situations that can be imagined. At that point, what more will talking do? I’m happy to leave the subject alone until God actually puts me in those situations. I appreciate all of the discussions and advice, but I doubt that there’s any new advice that I haven’t heard by now.
To those who have cared enough to have those repetitive discussions and give me Godly advice, thank you. I do appreciate what I’ve learned so far, and I know I still have a lot to learn. For now, though, I’m happy. For those of you who are still waiting, you should be happy too. Patience is not easy, I know, but being single can really be fun. For the most part, our generation doesn’t have much longer to be single. Take advantage of the time you have. Enjoy your singleness. One day, a relationship will happen, and it’ll be awesome. The grass is always greener on the other side, though, so don’t spend your single days wishing for your future.
