Engagement Ring-ology

A funny thing happened about two weeks ago. Two of my friends got engaged! Of course, this in itself isn’t the funny part as engagements happen all the time. The funny thing is that when I thought more about the history of this particular couple, I remembered that it took my friend two whole months just to agree to go on a date with him.

I sent her information about him, told her how wonderful he was, and that I thought they would be perfect together, but she was not into it. Her response to my nudging was always, “Thanks so much for thinking of me, but I am not interested. He doesn’t seem like a good match to me.” Finally, after two months of reassuring her that I really believed in this match, she reluctantly agreed to meet with him. Now two years later, they are happily engaged, and both feel they have met the love of their life.

This story made me curious about how many other times this has happened. I looked back, and sure enough I found other examples of this same situation. People would declare that my choice wasn’t right for them, and that the person I suggested couldn’t possibly be a good match. I would then go back and forth with some of them for weeks convincing them to give that person a shot. Once they finally agreed, they not only found relationship success, but a few also found marriage.

So what does this mean for singles? Well for one thing, you should always trust me, ha! 

More seriously though, in terms of learning from these experiences, I would say these stories prove how important it is to be as open minded as possible when dating. You can’t enter into dating with too many preconceived notions about who will be right for you. You need to be open to any potential match, as long as you both have common relationship goals, and values.

The reason it is easier for me to determine who makes a good match is because I have an outsider’s view of the situation. I look at factors that determine long term relationship compatibility, not just sexual or physical attraction. It’s not impossible to do this for yourself. Stay open-minded, meet as many different kinds of people as you can, and find out whose relationship and life goals align with your own. You never know who might end up as your potential husband or wife, so open your mind enough to give everyone a chance. 

More importantly, if I say they might be right for you, then you better listen...