We all date in hopes of finding the right person. We search in hopes of finding that one person will work out in the end, that they will treat us right and make us feel special. The one who will never lie to us, make us feel special, equal, beautiful, smart, and all the more. But how do we really know who is right for us? How do we really know that the person we are currently dating will end up being our life long partner that we will potentially marry someday? People ask me all the time how I handle a long distance relationship -- how can I date someone who is on the other side of the country? I tell them that it is easy because he is my best friend; I truly love him.
A relationship with another person is a lot easier if this person is your best friend. Imagine that this person knows everything about you. They know what makes you sad, what makes you happy, and how to cheer you up. They know that if they send you a picture of a puppy, it will make you smile as opposed to a dirty remark. They know how to make you smile and what to talk about with you. I have to say, that sounds like a healthy relationship to me.
You knew this person before you were dating.
Maybe you went to high school together and played basketball in P.E. class. Maybe they picked you to be on their flag football team even though they knew you had never played, but they didn't care. Maybe this person was someone you grew up with. No matter how you met this person, you had some type of friendship with this potential partner before you were dating.
This person is the one person you tell everything too.
You feel free to tell this person an embarrassing story of how you tripped on your way to an interview or mispronounced your professor’s name in the middle of a lecture. You feel free to tell this person that you got a C on your midterm and that makes you sad. You are open and honest with this person because you know they will be accepting of your choices; they will be accepting of your circumstances and try to find the best. You are honest to this person as this person is just as honest to you.
This person knows your deepest secrets.
This person knows a lot about you. This is the one person who will know what makes you scared like disappointing your parents or family obligations. But since they know your deepest secrets, they understand how you would react to various circumstances.
And most of all, they know how to treat you right.
What you only hope is that you are this person’s best friend.
Dating my best friend has been one of the best choices I have ever made. I love him endlessly and I couldn’t have asked for any better way to fall in love.
