The time will eventually arrive when our daughter, our darling little Bella, will inquire about how her father, Jake, and I first crossed paths. You know, the classic love story filled with sparks, bubbly champagne, and all the romantic clichés. Though we may have a few years before she asks, it might be wise for us to craft a somewhat altered version of the truth.
Once she hears our actual story, our credibility in offering advice about relationships, men, or dating will evaporate entirely. Seriously, we would be left with nothing to say—zero, zip, nada.
Guidelines We Cannot Endorse
- Avoid marrying young. Please, do not look to us as an example! Sure, we were just 21 and 24 when we tied the knot, but the social landscape was vastly different back then. The internet was a novelty, digital cameras were separate from phones, and Mel Gibson was considered a heartthrob. In the 90s, getting married young was the norm.
- Steer clear of marrying your study-abroad fling. Especially if your adventure takes place in a romantic European setting, let’s say Italy, and you meet someone during a wild event, like carnival in Venice (purely hypothetical). Such unions rarely succeed; we merely got lucky.
- Take your time getting to know your partner. A man who proposes after just two weeks is certainly not in his right mind, and you should probably decline. Ideally, you should know someone for more than four months before even considering marriage—just to clarify, “two weeks” and “four months” are simply illustrative figures.
- Meet the family before any major commitments. Your prospective mother-in-law’s first question shouldn’t be, “Are you sure you want to get married?” If it is, respond with a polite smile and a “yes” for good measure.
- Avoid ordering your wedding dress from a catalog. I’ll leave it at that.
- Choose your wedding date wisely. If you have a significant date in mind, make sure it falls on a weekend. A Tuesday wedding will leave your guests disgruntled as they head back to work the next day.
This is merely a short list of what to avoid. The longer list? Well, we can save that discussion for when she’s much older.
For more insights on this topic, check out this post on our blog about home insemination. When it comes to navigating relationships and building a family, resources like Make A Mom can provide valuable information. Additionally, the NHS offers an excellent resource for understanding pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, while our love story may be charming, it should not be used as a template for Bella’s future. We hope to guide her with wisdom—albeit with a humorous twist—as she navigates her own adventures in love.