Dear Grace,

I read your article about checking your boyfriends location. Let me start by saying I don't know your relationship, so I'm sure not everything I'm about to say is entirely correct. As I read your article, I made some judgements about your relationships, and I think some things should change. Again, I don't know your relationship, but I'm entitled to my own opinion.

Anyway, I don't think you are a "psycho girlfriend." I understand that you worry about your boyfriend and you want him to be safe. I get that. I want the same thing for my boyfriend, too, but I think checking his location every hour or making him respond to a text in a given amount of time is uncalled for.

I've never once checked my boyfriends location. I can't anyway, but that's not the point. I trust my boyfriend enough to know that he isn't going to put himself in a situation where he might end up "dead in a ditch somewhere." If you do have to worry about the safety of your boyfriend, maybe you should have a conversation with him about it instead of checking his whereabouts.

Also, what is going to happen in an hour? What if he is driving? Do you really want him to be checking his phone to text you back? That could put him in a dangerous situation, and I don't think you want that for him.

As far as read receipts and texting, I think you should talk to your boyfriend about this, too. If you make him leave it on just to make sure he's acknowledging you, that's a problem. He should want to acknowledge you and not feel forced to do so.

He may not even be a fan of texting and that's why he doesn't text you back. Again, I don't know your relationship or your boyfriend, but I do believe there is a conversation that needs to be had. Regardless, if he doesn't feel like texting you back, then don't force him to. Forcing people into doing things isn't OK; it doesn't matter what you're forcing them to do.

I still don't understand why you need to know where he is at all times. You should trust him enough to know that he will stay in safe situations and will leave if he is an unsafe one. If you don't trust him that much or think he will do something dumb, then I think you should have a conversation about that. Not because you need it but because he should be safe and not make you worry about him.

My boyfriend was deployed for 8 months, and I didn't always get the luxury of knowing where he was or where he was going. I went days without talking to him, so I don't have any sympathy for you not hearing from your boyfriend for an hour.

So, take a step back and look at your relationship. Do you really want to keep writing articles that attempt to justify why you are constantly checking on your boyfriend?

Sincerely,

Me.