Week 7 - Dating, Courting, Marriage

 Hey everyone!

Well, I can at least say that this week was better than last week! For one, I haven’t been sick all week so that’s definitely a plus. Also, I had a major change in time budgeting which has proven highly beneficial. I was working an early morning job up until now, and though it did help an awful lot, I felt that I struggled more than I should to keep up. Quitting that job was a tough decision. After all, you can’t just wish for money to appear… or can you…? I’m looking at you IRS. I know I submitted my tax return forms this year.

For sure though, a much better week this week than last. Not a whole lot happened, but I had a lot of fun throughout the week!

Anyways, onto what was shared this week. We only had class once this week, due to the holiday on Monday. Did enjoy that day off, was super nice. We spoke a lot about dating, courting, and marriage, specifically in that order. The topic was about the phases of dating, and how there’s definable phases. Very interesting indeed.

Yeah, I know it sounds like I’m rambling on or just pulling words out of thin air to fill this post, but I promise there’s more to it than that. I’ve had a lot of time and a lot of opportunities to ponder the idea of moving forward in a relationship in phases like this. I’ve seen examples recently of friends and family members progressing in that aspect. If I haven’t mentioned already, my oldest sister is currently planning her wedding to her fiancée. I’ve been able to meet the fiancée and honestly, I’m super happy for them both.

Sometimes it can be easy to be bitter… seeing others progress in ways you aren’t. I’m not just talking about dating and marriage. Life in general sometimes can feel like a competition. Who has the nicest stuff, who loves their spouse more, who has a clearer idea and ambition to pursue their own future. There’s a lot of good examples out there… I really hope someday to be that good example for others.

Sorry, super out of left field but I wouldn’t want to take my soul out of my work or censor it. I feel strongly and deeply about things like this because I know that I have a lot to learn about it.

I think class has helped me to see somethings that I haven’t seen before. People fall in love and progress in many different ways. We can’t be envious of their growth. Perhaps for some, the time to be married is now. For others, it could come later in life. Why should we concern ourselves so much with what others are experiencing? Their lives are their own, and ours our own. If we understand that things take time and effort to bring about the best results, we will find what we have earned.

This is what I strive to remember, at least. Other times it can be tough, for all of us. I really hope that people understand that. People fall short of what they want sometimes. Life can be disappointing. For all of us from time to time. It might seem like life is handed to others on a silver platter, especially when we look at their lives through social media, but it isn’t always what it seems. A strong and healthy relationship, one that leads to marriage, takes work, patience, long suffering, and lots of love. We can’t be the judge of how much of that is put into a relationship if that relationship isn’t our own.

So I think the message floating around in my head right now is that I have a life to live. Life will bring with it trials, but it will also bring opportunities. Everyone lives individual and unique lives. There’s no use in comparing.

Well, sorry to get super personal with this post. For some reason today I felt that this is what I should include in my work. Maybe this will be a reminder for future me? Or people I know now? Future people? I don’t know. I just feel like this is what I should jot down for now.

As always, thanks for reading! Have a good week!

-Caleb