First off, I want to say I am in no way being critical towards those who are in relationships. In fact, I applaud those who are in healthy relationships because not every relationship is healthy. I have seen my fair share of relationships where one party is more into it than the other, causing a riff to form, thus ending in a disaster. I have also seen relationships where one party cheats on the other, but the other decides to stay regardless of the broken trust.
Why do people stay in relationships that are unstable and unhealthy? Is it out of fear that he or she will never find someone else, so he or she will just settle? Or is it because he or she just wants to have someone in his or her life, just to be there?
I am 20-years-old, a sophomore in college, and have never been in a relationship. I have days where I wish I had a boyfriend, but then I have days where I’m happy I’m single. Actually, I have more of those days than I like to admit. Waiting for the right guy to come around is what I’m doing because I believe relationships should be meaningful, not meaningless.
When you're single you have a lot of freedom, but, most importantly, you have time. Time is the most precious thing life can offer you. I believe before you enter a relationship, you need to know who you are as a person and what you want as an individual. If you cannot answer the questions, “Do I know who I truly am?” and, “Do I know what I truly want?” then take time to discover yourself. There is absolutely no harm in waiting for the right guy or girl to come around.
The rule in the household I grew up in was this, "You cannot date until you’re 16." When I turned 16, I was ecstatic, but I realized my education was more prominent than snagging my first boyfriend. I thought I knew who I was and what I wanted at that age, but when I went to boarding school, I realized I had no clue who I was or what I wanted. During my senior year, I began discovering myself, and I didn’t have my first date until I was a freshman in college. I was 19.
My third brother did not have his first serious girlfriend until he was a senior in college. They have been dating for five years. After my second brother and his first girlfriend broke up, he was single for eight-and-a-half years until he found an amazing girl.
If you’re single, embrace it. Cherish it. Go out and have fun with your friends. Don’t let not having a boyfriend / girlfriend consume your mind. College is just four short years of your life, and what you do for the rest of your life is completely up to you. So live it up!
