Young Love

Q: My girlfriend and I have dated for four years - all through high school. Now, shes gone to college and Im in tech school in a different city. Weve been talking a lot on the phone, but it seems were growing apart. Im not sure she even wants to continue our relationship. I always thought wed get married, and Im not interested in dating anyone new, but I think she might want to move on and it hurts. What can I do?

A: I think its tragic that you and your girlfriend dated all four years of high school. Both of you would have been far better served to explore relationships as friends with a wide range of classmates. Friends can date. The idea of a committed relationship (lets go steady) at age 14 is ridiculous. From age 14-18, you need to be exploring who you are, not committing yourself to another person and in the process, becoming who they think you ought to be. Learning about your likes and dislikes, learning about what interests you in a vocation, learning how to be yourself in a large social setting are infinitely more important than trying to pick out a life mate before you even know how to drive.
It may sound hard, but the best thing that I could recommend to both of you is to separate for awhile and get some life experience. If your relationship is the perfect match that God wants you to experience, you have plenty of time to discover that yet. It is clear youve become dependent on your relationship with your girlfriend, and you probably lack the confidence to ...