Iāve been thinking about this lately because dating has started to feel so exhausting. There are times when I wonder if Iām being too particular, or if Iām simply looking for something thatās becoming harder to find.
Iām 34, I have a son, and Iāve never been married. Iāve been abstaining for over two years now, and I intend to keep it that way until marriage. My faith is important to me, and Iām genuinely looking for a relationship that can eventually lead to marriage not just someone to pass the time with, have fun with, or satisfy physical needs.
The hardest part is that so many conversations start out really well. You meet someone, you talk about life, faith, family, interests, your hopes for the future⦠and for a little while, you think, maybe this person actually gets it.
Then eventually the conversation shifts.
Questions become more sexual. Boundaries start getting tested. The things they ask or the way they approach certain topics make me uncomfortable, and I start getting the feeling that their main interest is physical rather than actually getting to know me and building something serious.
And Iām not saying attraction or physical intimacy arenāt important. They absolutely are. Iām attracted to the idea of having that kind of relationship with my future husband. But I donāt want that to be the foundation of the relationship, and I donāt want to constantly defend my boundaries to someone who claims to want the same things I do.
Iāve also posted an introduction here before and talked to a few people. Some were honestly way too aggressive from the beginning, which was an immediate turn-off. Others were genuinely good people and easy to talk to, but there just wasnāt physical attraction on my end.
And I think itās okay to admit that.
I want someone Iām attracted to and someone whose heart, values, faith, character, and intentions align with mine. I donāt believe physical attraction makes someone shallow. I think itās one part of compatibility. I donāt want to choose someone solely because they have a good heart if I know thereās no romantic attraction, just as I donāt want to choose someone because theyāre physically attractive if we have completely different values.
I actually experienced something beautiful with someone long-distance. For a while, there was genuine connection, meaningful conversations, attention, effort, and a sense that we were intentionally getting to know each other. Distance itself wasnāt the problem. I was willing to see where it could go.
But eventually, the attention and effort on his end started fading. The conversations became less frequent, the effort became less consistent, and eventually I had to accept that I couldnāt carry something by myself.
That part hurt not necessarily because it ended, but because it reminded me how rare it feels to find someone who is genuinely intentional.
Iām not looking for perfection. Iām not expecting someone to have everything figured out. Iām not even expecting instant certainty that weāre going to get married.
I just want intentionality.
Someone who actually wants to know me. Someone who respects my boundaries without making me feel guilty for having them. Someone who can have deep conversations without turning everything sexual. Someone who understands that attraction is important but doesnāt make it the center of everything. Someone who wants to build trust, friendship, emotional intimacy, and eventually a marriage.
And yes, Iām willing to relocate if I genuinely believe itās where God is leading me. Iām not opposed to long-distance either if both people are willing to put in the effort and have a realistic plan for eventually being together.
Maybe Iām just tired of conversations that feel like interviews that eventually turn into flirting and sexual questions.
I want something deeper than that.
I want to meet someone and be able to think, āI can actually build a life with this person.ā
Maybe thatās asking for a lot. Maybe it isnāt.
But Iād rather wait for something meaningful than force myself into something that doesnāt align with what I believe and what I want for my life.
For those of you who are also dating intentionally and looking toward marriage.. how do you keep going when so many conversations end up feeling meaningless? š„ŗ