When I was 15, I had a close family friend who was in his early 20’s. We were completely infatuated with each other. Everyone knew and we were never without a chaperone. It was many years before I ever became sexually active. He was the last innocent “puppy love” I had...

He was incredibly tortured by this infatuation and it was a tremendous crisis of conscious for him. Eventually he went to my family & I with a plan. He would take a self-imposed 3 year exile in the Navy, and when he returned I would be of marrying age. Then he proposed.

My parents told me he was a good man and they trusted him, that if it was what I really wanted— they would sign for my consent to marry before he left, so I could receive a spousal military stipend while he was gone. This practice is 100% legal in Texas...

I rejected his proposal a couple of days later. I remember telling him specifically, “I am struggling to pass Algebra. And you are struggling to make your rent.” I told him I didn’t think it was meant to be, and that it all had to stop then and there. So it did...

He never once pouted, questioned, challenged me. He is still a good family friend. To this day, it’s the most respect a man with romantic intention has ever shown me...

Life throws problematic circumstances at you. You can’t always prevent it. That’s why you need values. There is no excuse for navigating these specific circumstances with anything less than ACCOUNTABILITY and RESPONSIBILITY. Full stop. End thread.