Staples 400,

Thank you for your response. It is insightful to hear the story of someone who was in similar shoes as me currently. I am strongly against getting married until I have spent a significant amount of time with anyone. I have seen too much pain in my parent’s marriage for that. I am hoping that once my s/o moves back (as he claims), we can truly see how compatible we are as a couple. I love him dearly, but I do realize that things in relationships can pop up that can be deal breakers. We are trying to approach our relationship responsibly at this point although we do talk of our future together often.

Do you have any recommendations as to how to respectfully address things with my family? As you said, I do value their opinions and I can see their cause for concern, but I feel as though they have made some harsh judgements before even meeting my boyfriend.