Let's start this off with a fictional story...

This guy Andy walks into a bar. He sits down next to this gorgeous chic. Super hot! Yum-yum! They start talking, and things are going really well. They make plans to see each other again. Weeks and weeks of dating lead to a romantic dinner cooked by Andy at Andy's apartment.

So the girl says "I love you." Andy says it back. (Fictional story. Keep that in mind.) Now she wants Andy to meet her parents. That goes well. Now Andy proposes. She freaks out. "Woah! Slow down now! I'm not ready to get married, I think we should take some time off." Bam! Bad day, with horrible luck, right?

Maybe not.

Being in love is a...well...it can be really great. You have someone to call your companion. Someone with whom you relate. You have enough attachment to think about one another often, but enough freedom to have those nights to yourself. There's an understanding. In a sense, some people like being in love, or love being in love.

Marriage is the statement to the world "This is my missing half. He/She completes me, and I love him/her for that." It's a huge proclamation. And someone might not be ready to surrender that freedom from before. When you get married, it's one and only one.

So, this must mean that there are people out there who love being in love, but don't want to go that extra distance to be serious. It's sort of like, when you have cake in front of you. You know it's really good. The anticipation is overwhelming. And then, you put a small piece on your fork. It's right by your lips. The smell enters your nose, and its pure heaven. When you put it in your mouth, that's it. It's over. You have experienced it. There's nothing left. Whether the cake is good or not, it doesn't matter. The anticipation is so great and it beats out actually eating the cake.

So, a person in love is feeling that anticipation of something greater. It's so close, and they feel it too. This is the pinnacle, and they know it. If they move on to the next step, it's a step downward, not alot downward, but just enough. It's all relative. And so they choose to cherish the moment now, and forfeit any possible rewards.

Have you ever seen a really good movie, so good that you didn't want it to end? If you don't see the ending, does it really end? How do you know? It's like the thing about a tree falling in the woods. Does it make a sound? So yea, you don't see the end, and you leave. You are still on all the emotional highs. If you were to see it again from the beginning, it'd feel just the same. But if you see the ending, that's it. It's over. You'll never be able to watch that movie with the same excitement, because you know what it leads to.

The same applies to relationships. If you're not ready to let it go, the anticipation, then you have to leave. There are many reasons to not let go, but you have to know when to hold on. If you play poker and up the ante everytime, but fold at the last moment, then you never win. You get the climax, but never anything after.

I don't know how else to explain. If you're not ready, then don't go on. But you have to be ready eventually.

Yea...