I was single and dated off and on for many years after my divorce. I finally met a wonderful man and we've shared an incredible year and a half together. It's a great fit for me. It's been so easy a transition with him, as we're compatible on all the big stuff, yet different enough to provide some challenges, and it keeps things interesting along the way. I've learned so much with him. We do have some goals, however, over the next few years, that may take us in different directions. When I first realized this, I thought it's time to end it. After my overthinking brain went about 5 rounds with that, I stopped. There's really no reason to make a change now. We're having a great time, we're happy and things are working now. Possibly, in the future, we'll decide this isn't forever. And I'll deal with that then. Or, we'll decide to merge our paths, but that's to be determined. So is it wasting time?
On the other end of the spectrum, I see my friend in the early stages of getting to know someone, where I so frequently found myself not too long ago. She met a man a month or so ago. She doesn't know if she likes him, she thinks he likes her. She finds some of his habits annoying already, and wonders if she's wasting her time. It seems there's a lot of the superficial being considered, rather than really getting to know who he is. I've encouraged her to hang in there and let some of the nervousness go by, and see if there's anything of substance there. Is it wasting her time, if she's already annoyed by silly things?
In marriage, many people hold on for years, often, for the sake of the kids. They sacrifice their happiness, even their health and well-being to provide what they believe to be a stable home for their children. When is it time to let go?
Do same-sex couples encounter these same hurdles? I've noted that the same-sex couples I know seem to have less of the initial difficulties that I've encountered. There seems to be a more honest approach from the beginning, and fewer attempts to put a square peg in a round hole, so to speak

What do you think? When can a person confidently let go of a relationship?
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