I realize this phrase doesn’t always have the purest connotations, but as a romance writer, parent, and teacher I decided to read a couple of books on the topic. In an age when the marriage rate has plummeted and many are simply not getting married, how can we encourage people to date and eventually marry in healthy ways? For more of my thoughts, click here for my video.
Here are a couple of books which address the issues of modern dating (hookups) on one extreme, and courtship (only go out with someone “for the purpose of marriage) on the other. The former encourages physical intimacy too early, and the latter premature emotional intimacy, if it leads to a relationship at all. In both alternatives, many people are often left hurting and alone.
Can we as a society encourage the “traditional dating” used by our parents and grandparents, where young people can literally just grab coffee together with “no strings attached,” physically or emotionally? This is the method my own parents encouraged in my life. My husband and I both dated others in this “traditional” sense before we found each other. We’re so grateful for those experiences because they helped us appreciate each other more.
He proposed to me for Valentine’s Day ten years ago this month, and we’re still going strong.
I’d love to hear your comments on the topic!
Annnndd, here’s my short story for the holiday, free this week on Kindle ebook and YouTube audiobook for Valentine’s Day!
Alone on Valentine’s Day with only his viola for a date, Vince decides to drown his sorrows at the university coffee shop. In a room full of love-struck couples, Gaby’s alternative guitar music doesn’t quite strike a romantic tone. Can she find anyone who appreciates her original style?