I firmly believe that up until the past year of my life, I suffered from a medical condition called I-Need-A-Boy-In-My-Life-At-All-Times-Syndrome. For those of you unaware of this non-life threatening but life encompassing condition, it predominantly affects females ages 16 and up. Symptoms include but are not limited to the following: obsessing over finding one’s future husband, subscribing to online dating sites, harboring feelings of resentment towards people in relationships, and determining one’s self-worth by one’s relationship status.
It’s an interesting disease because only the sufferer can diagnose it. Even if family members and friends express concerns to the sufferer, their words will have no effect. Treatment can only begin when the sufferer comes to terms with the fact that she has been living her life for the sole purpose of finding a husband. And once treatment starts, it’s an ongoing process. Some sufferers go into remission but some relapse into their old ways.
Has anyone else heard of or suffered from this disease?
Okay, so hopefully by now, you have realized that what I’m talking about isn’t an actual medical condition, but if it were, I definitely displayed all of those symptoms as I made finding my husband my number one priority in life up until the past year or so. I online dated and I in-person dated, and my happiness was contingent on whether or not I had a date for the following Friday night. I read book after book, so that I could get to I do and pray for my future husband, but not even these books could help me find this elusive future husband.
I still haven’t found this future husband yet, but I am happy to say that I finally realized that I was suffering from that syndrome, and I’m determined to never let it happen again. For the first time (and for those who know me, I’m sure it’s hard to believe), I finally feel content not being in a relationship. And it’s not because I don’t think I’m supposed to be married, because I do. And it’s not because I’m bitter about past relationships, because I’m not. It’s because I’ve finally decided to switch my focus from boy, boy, boy to Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
The following prayer really helped me in my process of trying to switch my focus, so it brings me great pleasure to share it with you. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day and know that you are in my prayers!
“Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in Love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” – Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ
© 2014 everything-is-yours.com
Joan is a Registered Dietitian/grad student who blogs at www.everything-is-yours.com. She enjoys reading, running, listening to music, watching The Bachelor, and learning about the Catholic faith!
