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I will not post any photographs of her or even mention her name.
She'll understand.

All that is wonderful at the beginning of our story I hope will turn into the story of our life, the one with a capital S, the one that will make us happy and let us experience the fairytale ending, while I tremble at the thought that it could turn, along the way, into an adventure with a sad and empty ending, which will break our hearts. Love is so immense that it knows no half measures.

Starting a long-lasting relationship is no joke, and if I say it as an expert, it's to be believed, even if the stereotype states that women are increasingly launched towards married life, while men, on the contrary, are increasingly reluctant to commit, the truth is that I seem the one of the two more oriented towards a long-term relationship and she is still evaluating the offer. We have only taken the path of "serious history" but it is always very important to evaluate the situation well, and we are both doing this.

Of course, there was love at first sight (I'm also a specialist in this) and no one asked questions, because there was no need given the total and immediate harmony. Yet in real life it is hardly like this, and a relationship must be cultivated day after day: it is not a chimera that once achieved will solve our problems. The chemistry of falling in love is sacrosanct, but it must be combined with other factors that blend and complement each other in the relationship of life as a couple, until the story is consolidated. But sometimes you are not ready, you can make mistakes or you come to a crossroads where you have to figure out how to continue.

I didn't ask myself questions about my future with her because I thought she might be the right person for me, and she certainly is, I just have to avoid making mistakes that could somehow ruin the harmony that has been created between us and wreck everything. This is why I began to ask myself if my intentions are serious, because it is one thing to read a text in which idyllic to catastrophic scenarios are presented to you, and another thing is to understand if beyond any reasonable feeling, she is really the woman that I was looking for and ours could be a lasting relationship and so the time has come to put myself on the line.

It all started in November 2022, I'll leave out the details. From that moment we started talking, exchanging thoughts, hopes, goals, stakes, ideas on how our relationship could be founded, initially as a friendship and then something more. That something extra was not classified as marriage even though the implication of marriage was not latent but alive, for various reasons. First of all, we both came out of bad marriage stories, we both have children. Getting married was not but could be the option on the table, it is difficult to live together in the country where we both live, especially under the same roof, the laws could create problems for us, sharing one's life more or less assiduously is the objective to be achieved and to compensate for the mutual shortcomings - no one is perfect - and aspire to a simpler life free from worries.

Considering that you are around thirty-five years old (only on your identity card) and I am a gentleman who has long passed middle age, our paths could converge to follow a common one with a lot of joy, a spirit of collaboration, inner happiness, respect , trust, lots of happiness, joy, loyalty and love, because the last must necessarily exist.

What I look for in our relationship? 

Kindness 

It may seem strange but it's true, as a man I appreciate an attitude made of sweet understanding, gentle ways and acceptance of who I am. Feeling valued and loved is the place to start. All her gestures are affectionate, not even my ex wife has ever behaved like this. She continually seeks physical contact, even just touching me with a foot or holding my hand is a sign of affection. Considering the environment where we both live (Vietnam) it's a lot. I'm happy with her.

Security

Like all men, I too have my own idea of charm and attraction. But, although there is a 'common line' for which a woman is considered attractive, it's important she knows how to recognize her own value and not be afraid to show self-confidence. Being self-confident and aware of one's qualities is a great element of charm.

Cheerfulness

I wasn't looking for a comedian, a sense of humor was enough for me, knowing how to appreciate my witticisms and her ability to entertain myself are qualities that I really appreciate. Positivity is generally contagious, and it's a way of dealing with life that makes me feel better. She has these peculiar characteristics, when we are together we laugh almost all the time, obviously not like happy geese on command, the joy comes from the happiness of sharing fragments of life together. Then she is a master in self-irony and has the ability to lighten heavy situations by de-dramatizing. In short, I was looking for someone capable of taking life with joy like her.

Emotional support

She does not have a typically feminine specialty, namely that of criticizing every action, phrase, thought made by her partner. Someone will tell me that it is still early, perhaps so but I have not seen even a few timid attempts, everything is fine with her and if criticism comes, as happens in all couples, it will be soft and painless, she will not be the type of woman who offends the partner. In a healthy relationship we support each other, and even if daily life can give rise to misunderstandings, subjecting the other to constant criticism or worse, being blamed is not a situation we can aspire to.

Simplicity

Like all men, I don't like things that are too complicated. Even about my life partner. This also applies to aesthetic parameters, self-care is fine, but I could hardly really expect and appreciate absurd aesthetic levels.

New motivation

In a relationship I also look for motivations, news and suggestions that lead me to detach myself from my habits. This would also apply under the sheets, although I think it's premature to address that. I am originally a shy man who has only become emancipated in the last few years and maybe even a little clumsy in certain situations. That's why my woman should surprise me and realize my fantasies even before expressing them.

She lives between desire and reality, between will and power, between present and future. She is a straightforward woman, with all the implications that means. She is part of a proactive, ambitious, vigorous generation that doesn't give up, that loves to dream. She is more capable of accepting the ambiguities and uncertainties of life, thanks to a strong ability to move in a chameleonic way. Sometimes she can also be cynical and unscrupulous, but often more objective than previous and subsequent generations: she knows how to wait for a need, a dream, a passion; she knows how to make a wish come true, step by step; she knows how to embrace a goal and move forward with obstinacy. But she is also a woman who has suffered, and the recent loss of her mother contributes to this and makes her more exposed to certain considerations regarding her life. 

Undoubtedly she is weaker, not even much because she always has that determination distinguishes her, but being emotionally involved in the latest events of her life leads her to consider with greater attention what she currently has at her disposal, and if this awareness is useful, certainly knowing there is a man (me) who loves her above all else is certainly an aspect not to be underestimated and not to be missed.

She is the splendid woman I love.