Each year there are many women worldwide that are thrilled to accept a marriage proposal along with a beautiful engagement ring to go with it during the holidays. On the other hand, there are also many women that were sorely disappointed when the holidays passed without a proposal or a ring. Out of this group of women, there will be many wondering just how long they need to wait for their men to pop the question.
There really aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to this dilemma. That’s what makes it somewhat difficult to know when to stick it out or when to walk away. Granted, there ARE some guidelines that can be used to gauge whether or not you’re wasting your time on a dead end relationship, and this may be just about all the help you’ll get with this issue.
To begin with, if you’re in a relationship that has gone on for ten years and he’s still living at home with his parents, chances are that you won’t be getting a marriage proposal any time soon, if ever. You may as well face it; he’s in a comfortable situation. He’s got a roof over his head, gets his laundry done and his meals cooked for minimal cost. Then, he’s got you meeting his social and sexual needs. Why should he give up all of that and take on the responsibilities of marriage?
That’s one extreme of relationships. The other is when you’ve just met someone and have only been going out for a couple of weeks. You probably haven’t even had sex yet. In this situation, you need to wait a while longer before expecting a marriage proposal and a ring. You’re still very much in that getting acquainted stage and there’s no need to rush this part.
Now, for those couples that have been with each other anywhere from a year to five years, it’s time to figure out where the relationship is going, and what each of you want from it. You’ve had time to get well acquainted with each other and should know whether or not you’re interested in spending the rest of your life together. If your man is still hedging on a commitment and you want the house and picket fence, it’s time to sit down and have an open and honest conversation about where to go from there.
Sure, there are those rare couples that have been together a month, decide to get married and then remain happily married for fifty years. That doesn’t happen very often, though. It seems to be important to get to know someone pretty well BEFORE getting married rather than AFTER. In that way, you’re sure to have a good idea of what you’re getting in the deal and the type of personality you’ll be living with and dealing with.
The important thing to remember is that these things usually happen when they’re meant to, and if the proposal doesn’t come within a reasonable amount of time, it probably wasn’t meant to ever happen.