Dr Laura Letter (Pretty Wise!)

I'm a big fan of Dr Laura, and I came across this letter today and found it very true:

Dear Mother Laura,

I want people to hear this....

Unlike most 23 year-old girls, I do not talk to my girlfriends about my relationship. The reason for this is simple. Any problems, worries, cares, or concerns I have about my relationship would cause my friends to look at me as if I were a complete lunatic. You see, I don't have the same concerns for my relationship as most girls I know. I cannot complain about a boyfriend who flirted with last night's waitress, called me all sorts of names, might possibly be on drugs, still talks to his ex-girlfriend, or got so drunk he lost his manners (if he even had any to begin with). I believe that a girl should have standards in the man she chooses to date. My concerns are on a deeper level. I want to know if the man I'm dating would be a nurturing father. I want to know if he loves my family, does my family love him, would he do everything in his power to honor wedding vows, are we in the same place in our lives spiritually, and anything else that would be vital to a happy, healthy marriage. I turn to my parents for advice. They have been happily married for 39 years, and that has to give them some kind of credibility. My brother and his wife have been married for 13 years, and you would think they were newlyweds. I ask them for advice as well. So I have a rule for myself: Do not seek relationship advice from people who are not in a happy, healthy, spiritual, God-honoring marriage. I have yet to receive bad advice.