I agree with bee* and Bia (and I think I''ve said it before too), but you need to put YOU first! I really think you need to lay out all of your feelings...something along the lines of, "I''m not obsessed with getting married, I just love you a lot and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We have been together for 8 years and I am ready for us to take the next step. I know you can''t afford a ring right now but that''s the least of my worries. I just need to know where we are heading and what we can do as a couple so I don''t go crazy (or something like thatDate: 2/5/2009 1:53:01 PM
Author: bee*
I know I''ve said it before but I think that you need to sit down and talk about it properly and don''t let him away with saying he''s ready and then him not doing anything. If he''s ready then he should do it, all the more reason as you guys have a house now and if he''s happy to live together as basically husband and wife, then he should go ahead and cement things. I would love for nothing more than to see an I''m engaged post from you!!!
You know... that ISSSS True... not a lot of pomp and circumstance though.Date: 2/5/2009 4:03:32 PM
Author: Winks_Elf
Personally, I would take him to the county office for Valentine''s day where you get the marriage license. You are already financially tied to him, you''ve been living together, and you have been in the relationship for 8 years now. It''s time. At this point, you don''t need a big expensive wedding and the whole engagement thing. You need the paperwork to backup all that you''ve committed to already.
Why wait for HIM to make the first move? Take him to the township/city hall, get the license, wait for the cooling off time period to be over, and say I do! It''s really not that difficult. If he hems and haws, tell him he has 90 days to figure out how he''s going to buy out your interest in the house.
Date: 2/5/2009 3:55:24 PM
Author: ms.kitty
I just realize there is another MISSkitty... how ironic
Date: 2/5/2009 4:03:32 PM
Author: Winks_Elf
Personally, I would take him to the county office for Valentine''s day where you get the marriage license. You are already financially tied to him, you''ve been living together, and you have been in the relationship for 8 years now. It''s time. At this point, you don''t need a big expensive wedding and the whole engagement thing. You need the paperwork to backup all that you''ve committed to already.
Why wait for HIM to make the first move? Take him to the township/city hall, get the license, wait for the cooling off time period to be over, and say I do! It''s really not that difficult. If he hems and haws, tell him he has 90 days to figure out how he''s going to buy out your interest in the house.
I''d leave. I''d focus on loving myself, because no matter what he says about wanting to marry you, his actions say otherwise.Date: 2/6/2009 12:42:28 PM
Author: chocolatefudge
What would you do differently?? I can''t make him do it
Well, on the contrary, if he won''t marry you, how much does he love YOU? Works both ways. If marriage is important to you, he should take that into consideration, since he claims to love you so much.Date: 2/6/2009 3:51:16 PM
Author: chocolatefudge
I''ve also had the, ''You would leave me just because I don''t want to get married? You can''t love me much then. You tell me what difference getting married will make?''
I''m really sorry you''re dealing with this, but I just wanted to say that it''s not fair of him to turn your feelings about marriage and engagement into convoluted feelings about him so that the conversation becomes about how much you love him and you having to apologize for bringing up marriage in the first place. He''s sweeping your feelings under the rug and it''s not fair.Date: 2/6/2009 3:51:16 PM
Author: chocolatefudge
Thank you for all of the replies.
I''ve written and rewritten my reply about five times now and none of them are coming out properly. The truth is, I really can''t imagine leaving him and I don''t want to. However, I realise this means that I am complaining on here for no reason as I am not prepared to take action against what is happening. My SO gets annoyed when I try and ask for a timeline and wants to know whay I want to spoil the surprise by knowing exactly when it''s going to happen. This then makes me feel guilty and I try not to talk about it incase the following day is THE day and I almost spoil it. Of course THE day never comes and I relalise that I am very silly and ridiculous and posting these things makes me sound worse
My SO is sooooo kind to me and I know he loves me. Getting engaged is the only thing we ever seem to argue about. I do feel like we are growing a bit distant lately and this is mostly down to me. I find myself resenting him some days and just feel really angry with him. When I tell him these things he says, ''Why would I want to marry someone who feels like that about me?'' I''ve also had the, ''You would leave me just because I don''t want to get married? You can''t love me much then. You tell me what difference getting married will make?''
I just really hope that he is telling the truth and it will happen soon.
Ditto.Date: 2/6/2009 4:59:53 PM
Author: brooklyngirl
Chocolate,
I think it really boils down to how sure you are of yourself, and your feelings. He''s able to make you feel guilty about YOUR NEEDS because you''re unsure of yourself, and have some skepticism about whether you are absolutely right in your expectations of him.
Once you stop doubting yourself, he won''t be able to make you feel guilty. He should feel guilty, not you.
Marriage changes a lot of things for you. Aside from legalilties, you have a different status in the family once you''re married. I''m not sure what your relationship is like with his family, but even if they currently treat you like family, when you get married, it does change. Once you''re really part of the family, people will see you, and your relationship as more solid, and treat you accordingly.
You deserve to have your needs met. You met his need, and bought the house with him, where, exactly, is his end of the bargain?
Dammit, I''m really frustrated for you
I do not think this situation is fair at all to you. After 8 years AND buying a house together I do not think it is up to him to give you a timeline. I used to really believe that having the engagement story, the ring, FF planning something “special” was exactly what I wanted and it would show that he wanted it too. However, I now think of marriage as two people. Two people who know that want to marry each other and decide together they want to marry each other, nothing more.
Why should you have to continue to wait for him to propose? I know you don’t like the idea of dragging him to the courthouse and it doesn’t have to be that way. If he is *finally* serious about wanting to marry you then why do you have to wait for a ring? I know you said that it is the way that *he* wants, but again it is being put on his wants and his needs. Your needs are just as important as his and he needs to realize that.
The talk you need to have with him is not about when he is going to propose it needs to be more along the lines of when you are going to get married. It needs to be a mutual decision and if he can’t say he is ready right now after buying a home with you and being with you for 8 years then please, please think of yourself and really reevaluate everything.
Best of luck with you and FF. You really need to have this final talk with him and get the ball rolling. Your happiness is of the utmost importance now. Sorry if I am off in my posting, please feel free to tell me. I just really hate to see you upset.
Hey sweetie, sorry to hear that you are feeling frustrated again. What I think would help is if you were able to slightly alter your perspective on this. What I basically hear you saying is that your feelings over the years you have expected a proposal have progressed something akin to this (although this will be exaggerated to make a point):Date: 2/6/2009 3:51:16 PM
Author: chocolatefudge
Thank you for all of the replies.
I've written and rewritten my reply about five times now and none of them are coming out properly. The truth is, I really can't imagine leaving him and I don't want to. However, I realise this means that I am complaining on here for no reason as I am not prepared to take action against what is happening. My SO gets annoyed when I try and ask for a timeline and wants to know whay I want to spoil the surprise by knowing exactly when it's going to happen. This then makes me feel guilty and I try not to talk about it incase the following day is THE day and I almost spoil it. Of course THE day never comes and I relalise that I am very silly and ridiculous and posting these things makes me sound worse
My SO is sooooo kind to me and I know he loves me. Getting engaged is the only thing we ever seem to argue about. I do feel like we are growing a bit distant lately and this is mostly down to me. I find myself resenting him some days and just feel really angry with him. When I tell him these things he says, 'Why would I want to marry someone who feels like that about me?' I've also had the, 'You would leave me just because I don't want to get married? You can't love me much then. You tell me what difference getting married will make?'
I just really hope that he is telling the truth and it will happen soon.
Sorry to continue threadjack....Date: 2/7/2009 12:24:47 AM
Author: mryan
first off.. want to apologize for 2 things in advance:
1) i''m male... i dont know if posting in this section is allowed! lol
2) sorry if it''s a threadjack but..
i read this forum time to time to see what is going on in the heads of the other sex and reading this one kinda makes me wonder if it is odd that i''m soon to pop the question in the coming months (just paid for the ring this week and will have it before end of next week)...that we''ve only been together almost 2 years. I guess when you know you know though eh. i think age has something to do with it also.. we are both early 30ish. maybe both of our clocks are ticking? lol i don''t know! but i figure I know i would if it was next month or 10 years from now it would only be w/her...so why not make her happy. I know i''d regret it if i never got the chance to give her the big sparkly thing all girls dream of lol