Thanks, Anita. I would tell him there are several standards I must uphold in my friendships and relationships with others:
1) Dependability/Trust. On a basic level you have to trust that your friend/partner is dependable. There were multiple times when he would tell me, “We should meet-up this weekend,” or “I’ll text you tomorrow,” and then he would never contact me.

2) Consistency. When I’m in a relationship with someone, I need a level of consistency. I understand work schedules change, life gets hectic, etc… But I don’t appreciate someone texting me multiple times a day, asking to see me several times that week, and then suddenly withdrawing to the point of not texting and going at least two weeks without an effort to see me. Also resorting to last minute plans the majority of the time is difficult. That type of inconsistency makes me feel confused.

3) Communication. The person I’m in a relationship with has to at least make an effort to communicate how they’re honestly feeling. There were times when he wouldn’t be forthright with me about his feelings. He would use vague statements like, “Let’s just see where this goes.” “I don’t know where our future will lead… only time will tell.”

I would like my future partner to be honest in his intentions of being in a relationship with me, such as saying: “I like you and want to experience more things together and continue getting to know you.”

Those are three of my standards for friendships and relationships. He has never been able to meet those three for longer than a few weeks at a time, therefore I have to say good-bye.