After being friends for awhile, my now-husband and I began dating about six years ago after being friends for awhile and it took me no time at all to realize that he was the one for me. In case you’re wondering what tipped me off, it’s because he did these 11 things.
1. HE MADE A REAL EFFORT TO GET TO KNOW ME.
Before we ever began dating, we were good friends first. Often, we would simply hang out or have an all day text marathon. When I wanted to go to the fair, it felt completely natural to invite him along for the ride, and he would sometimes ask me to join him and his friends when they hung out. I knew he actually cared about me because he got to know my personality and simply wanted to be around me.
2. HE PLANNED OUR FIRST DATE.
When he picked me up from the house, there was a present waiting for me in the passenger seat of his truck. He knew I loved The Lion King and nestled in a little red box were a tiny stuffed lion and flowers. Unlike previous boyfriends who never once picked me up and took me out on an actual date, it was refreshing to be brought a present and chauffeured around town on a night he’d taken the time to plan for the two of us.
3. HE HAD EXCELLENT MANNERS.
I was surprised on our first date when he sauntered out of his truck to walk to my side and open my door. Even more shocking was the first time he pulled out my chair for me on my birthday. When he slid the chair out from under the table as I was approaching and stepped aside waiting for me to sit, I stared dumbfounded at him until he finally shrugged his shoulders and sat in the adjacent chair. I never thought a guy would actually do that for me.
4. HE WAITED FOR OUR FIRST DATE TO KISS ME.
He had plenty of opportunities and there were many times I could tell he wanted to kiss me. After we began dating, I asked him about this and he kind of shrugged his shoulders and said, “I thought I’d be a gentleman and wait until I could properly take you out.” If that isn’t sexy, I don’t know what is.
5. HE MADE SPONTANEOUS ROMANTIC GESTURES.
From pulling his truck over to the side of the road because he had an urge to kiss me to stopping to pick me flowers from a field full of yellow blossoms, he’s always made small sweet gestures to show me he cared. Lavish gifts are frivolous and have been showered on sugar babies and side chicks since the dawn of time. It’s these small actions a man does that truly show you’re in his heart and on his mind.
6. HE OPENLY TALKED ABOUT THE FUTURE AND WHERE WE WERE GOING.
There was never any prying for information on where we were headed or what he thought about our relationship. After he said those three special words, everything he envisioned for us was all on the table. He shared with me how he always wanted kids and family and how he knew I was the one he wanted to marry. Even though we decided to hold off getting engaged for a few years, I always knew where I stood with him.
7. TALKING TO HIM FELT NATURAL.
With past boyfriends, I always felt as if I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I molded myself to be who they wanted and constantly wondered if I was doing or saying something stupid. I knew I had a keeper because I was free to be myself and being around him felt as natural as being around my best girlfriend.
8. THERE WERE NEVER ANY GAMES.
Past relationships were a minefield of unanswered text messages and competing with other girls for attention. With him, I never felt like I had to jump through hoops to get what I wanted and I was always his priority.
9. I HAD NO SENSE OF IMPENDING DOOM.
More often than not, I had a gut feeling it wouldn’t work out with past boyfriends no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. Although I had a gut feeling with him, it was a positive one.
10. HE WAS WILLING TO WAIT FOR ME.
We began dating six months before I was supposed to leave for college and he wasn’t in a position to move with me. Although our relationship was still fresh, we already felt committed to one another and he took on having a long distance girlfriend until we could move in together.
11. THERE WAS ALWAYS A SENSE OF TRUST.
This goes back to the gut feeling I had about our relationship. I sensed he was a trustworthy person and he never gave me any reason to doubt him. I already knew him as a friend and someone that I could rely on, no matter the situation. Even when we were long distance for about two years, I never worried that he was out cheating on me because I knew I had a man with integrity. Take it from me—that’s the type of man you want to scoop up and never let go.
By Emily Burkhead for Bolde