lovey-dovey interview.

A friend of mine is doing a project in her Marriage and Relationships class and needed to interview someone who is engaged... Of course I volunteered! I'm always looking for an excuse to talk somebody's ear off about it! I'm looooove-sick. :)

Just thought I'd share...

1.Why do you want to get married?

My fiancé! That’s the thing... You have to get married because the person is right, not because the timing is right. I had absolutely no intentions of getting married any time soon and actually, 6 months ago, I didn’t want to get married.... But, after meeting Gage and falling in love with him, I changed my mind. I found someone who convinced me of marriage. It became a matter of company rather than timing... The timing wasn't perfect, but I found a man who was perfect for me. I want to spend forever with my best friend! He brings out the very best in me and I want to spend forever being the best version of myself!

2.What is it about your partner that attracted you to them?

Initially...? His smile! He is one good lookin’ son of a gun! Seriously. Those big brown eyes, huge white smile, perfect skin, and big muscles... I was swooned by a total heart-throb! After I cleaned up my drool... I was attracted to his zest for life and his sense of humor. He is the life of the party and gets along with everyone. I loved watching him interact with other people; whether they were good friends or strangers, he has such a way with people. Someone once told me that if you want to know if you’re dating a good guy, “Don’t pay so much attention to what other people say about him, but to what he says about other people.” I was so attracted to how nice he is to everyone and how everyone gravitates towards him.

3.What are some of your expectations of marriage?

I expect it to be a lot of teamwork. It will never last if you don’t work together and approach all your decisions and trials as a team. It requires equal efforts from both parties and your marriage will suffer if one person isn’t doing their part. I expect it to be hard and require a lot of patience and compromise. I also expect it to be totally worth it. It’s worth all the hard work to have your best friend to laugh with, cry with, and spend your life with.

4.How long have you been dating? How did you meet?

2 years ago, my best friend, Kim, was dating Gage's roommate. She began driving me absolutely nuts trying to convince me to hang out with him. According to her, “I just HAD to meet him!” I was dating someone else at the time, so Gage was the last thing I was looking for. I was scared of something changing my hand-crafted life plan. Not to mention, I knew who he was and I knew he was leagues and leagues out of mine; I was intimidated to say the least! After almost a year of Kim trying to convince us both to meet each other, I finally gave in. I had never been so nervous and so excited... I knew he was a threat to my plans, but I couldn't help but be completely captivated by him. Turns out Kim knew what she was talking about. We hit it off and were inseparable ever since! I fell in love with him and my hand-crafted life plan changed... For the better! We’ve been “hanging out” for over a year and will be “officially dating” exactly a year on the week of our wedding!

5.What is your favorite thing about your relationship/being in a relationship?

I love the comfort of knowing there is always someone to talk to and always someone who cares. No matter how bad your day is, there is someone who loves you and is completely capable of making you feel better. It’s encouraging to know you always have someone on your team. I'm happiest with Gage. I wouldn't change a thing!

6.What does it mean to you to be emotionally healthy?

Emotional health means being able to cope with every circumstance. It doesn’t mean you don’t cry or don’t get your feelings hurt, it just means you address your feelings and cope with it in a productive manner.

7.Why do you think some marriages work?

The marriages that work are because the people involved are hard workers, good-communicators, and patient. You have to love the other person more than yourself and care about their happiness more than your own. I think that the marriages that work are because each spouse cares more about making the other person happy than making themselves happy. They are selfless and loving and that is what keeps a marriage alive. You also can’t go into a marriage expecting it to be all fun and games, you have to be prepared to work hard and brave some ups and downs.

8.Why do you think some marriages fail?

I believe the marriages that fail are marriages of people who go into marriage expecting it to be all hugs and kisses. You need to have realistic expectations of your marriage and of your spouse. If not, you’re going to be unsatisfied and disappointed and your spouse will be frustrated trying to meet your expectations.

9.What is your definition of a healthy marriage/relationship?

A healthy marriage/relationship is one where both people feel comfortable being themselves. You need to feel comfortable in your own skin and voicing your own opinion. You need to show that person your true colors and allow yourself to be accepted as is. Each person is entitled to their own thoughts, ideas, and opinions and those things need to be mutually respected for a marriage to work. A healthy marriage also involves compromise when you don’t see eye to eye.