Creating a Family: Step 2

Make sure the mate you have chosen also chooses you. This does not mean that they agree to marry you. This does not mean they say they love you. This means that you both define love, marriage and family in the same way and you choose to do all of it together. There are as many ways to define these ideas as there are people on the planet. Falling in love is easy, but then you have to start digging. It gets ugly. It gets dirty. You need to know about their family, past, philosphy and values. If you find out anything that makes you nervous, investigate further. If you are still not satisfied or uneasy, walk away. If, on the other hand, you find that you love the person more, he or she is a keeper. Enjoy your engagement. Go on a fantastic honeymoon. Start living as husband and wife, which is different from just living together (I did that, before I was married and am actually all for it). Build the strong foundation that you will desperately need when things get really challenging (aka having your first child).