I recently shared on my fan page that, after 2 years of life as a singleton, I have been considering easing my way into the world of dating. One of my “fans” gave me this advice: “This might sound strange but one of the first things I did was to write down a list of things that I MUST have in a relationship/ partner. Things that I would [absolutely] NOT budge on and I keep the list hidden but in mind when deciding if I want to accept a date or ask someone on a date”.
Now, I already have a list of qualities that my potential partner must have. You know:
1. Honesty
2. Open Communication
3. Faithfulness/Loyalty
4. Loves kids and is open to having more
5. Makes me laugh and feel like I can be fully myself
6. Has goals and is actively working towards them
7. Be supportive and encouraging when it comes to my own goals and dreams
8. Share some of my interests
9. Physically attractive and compatible (I mean, come on, you know that has to be on here somewhere, lol)
10. Shares my values and respects the differences that we do have
I could go on, but I think you get the point. I think these are pretty standard things to want in a partner. So today I sat down and asked myself “What do I REALLY want in a partner? What about my Mr. Right would make me fall in love with him a little more each day? What would make him stand out from everyone else? And this is what I came up with.
1. Whoever I end up with will know that the way to my heart is Chinese food, chocolate, and orange skittles. Oh and books. Tons of books.
2.He will sing Broadway music with me and not care if I am off-key.
3. He will stand in line with me for hours just to get the latest release of a book I have been waiting for.
4. He will also stand in line with me to catch the midnight release of whichever book-to-movie adaptation I absolutely MUST SEE THAT NIGHT. No matter how “dorky” it is.
5. He will totally understand (and not judge) my need to watch the Harry Potter ABC Family movie marathon on tv even though I have the entire series on dvd.
6. He will not interrupt me when a song I love comes on, especially not during “that” part. You know the part I’m talking about. The one that comes not too long before the song ends that you wait for, anticipation building, so that you can belt it out at the top of your lungs, waving your hands dramatically, sometimes clenching and unclenching your fists and possibly squeezing your eyes shut. Yeah, that part.
7. He will gladly wash dishes after I cook because I hate doing dishes. The sound of plates scraping against each other sets my nerves on edge. Better yet, he will make sure we have a dishwasher. Problem solved.
8. He will know and love all of the great Disney songs and sing along with them just as enthusiastically as I do.
9. He will not look down on me for watching and enjoying cartoons. In fact, he will introduce me to new ones that make me wonder “where have you been all my life”.
10. He will understand the (sometimes obsessive) relationship that I have with Facebook.
11. He will know that there is never such a thing as having too many books and that a trip to Barnes & Noble will almost always cheer me up.
12. He will be the “Creepy Crawly Patrol” — ridding the house of anything with more than two legs (pets not included).
13. He will be able to hold his own in the kitchen. Because, let’s face it — no one wants to cook every day.
14. He will love board games and will engage in a week-long Monopoly battle. And not be a sore loser when I tap that a** in Mancala. Seriously, I rule that game. He will also engage in friendly smack-talking. That’s half the fun.
15. He will not join the rest of the world in looking at me funny when I break out into a random, public song-and-dance routine.
16. He will laugh along with me at the most inappropriate things and make me feel like less of a jerk for doing so. Or pinch me really hard to sober me up when laughing would make me feel like I would go to hell. Because, let’s face it — I laugh at the worst possible time in certain situations.
17. He will be ok with what other people would view as “awkward” silences. Sometimes, I just get lost in my head. No biggie.
18. He will never leave an empty or near empty container in the refrigerator or cabinet. That is just RUDE.
19. He will not consider watching the Notebook as being foreplay.
20. He will think Christian is one of the most awesome people in the world and that our little family is just the best. The. Best.
Yep…that’s my Mr. Right. Wherever he is. What about you guys? Who is your Mr. (or Mrs.) Right? Feel free to comment below or join the conversation on my fan page