Oh Really?

I log on to Yahoo tonight to check my email, and I see this tagline: "27 ways to know if you've found the right relationship for you"

Let's just see about that!

Questions:

At the right time and place, she suggests people exchange answers to the following questions:

1. Kids or no kids? Um, do we talk about that when the birth control fails
three months into our relationship?

2. Smoking or no smoking? That one seems like something that would be covered on the first date or two...

3. Drinking or no drinking? (Same for drugs) see above

4. Religious beliefs: Match? Blend? Clash?

5. Who works? Who stays home (especially when the kids come along)? Is this 1950, I thought we both had to work?

6. Who wants to live where?

7. Who controls the checkbook? Me, always ME

8. What is his/her personal relationship with his/her family? Too distant? Too close? If I would have started talking about my family too soon, Jeremy would have definitely bolted

9. How are holidays spent? At home? With family? Alone? Vacationing?

10. Windows opened or closed? Heat/AC on or off? Seriously? Is this a make or break a relationship question?

11. What side of the bed must you (he/she) sleep on?

12. Where to spend vacations? Leisure time?

13. Sick: Left alone or babied? If you need to be "babied" when sick, maybe you should still be living at Mom's

14. Appropriate gift giving: birthdays? Yuletide holidays? Special occasions? We need to discuss when to give PRESENTS???

15. Who does what around the house?

16. What is acceptable hygiene? Um, if it's not acceptable, why'd you accept the first date?

17. What are his/her hobbies, pastimes?

18. Preferences: Music? Movie? Book favorites?

19. Favorite foods?

20. Pets or no pets? What kind?

21. Decisions about the children: School, church, discipline, allowance,
extra curricular activities, friends, and curfew? Now I know that if I started asking a potential suitor about our future childrens curfews, he would NEVER call me again

22. Mealtimes: Early or late? Looking for an Early Bird special?

23. Furniture: Vintage or Contemporary? Seriously? I'm sorry honey, I can't date you because you like the purple leather couch and I'm partial to brown

24. Sleeping habits: Four hours or eight?


Three more compatibility factors
If this list is not enough to help you determine whether or not your new love is right for you, try these as additional ways to size up the compatibility factor: How does your new love handle a crisis? Behave in public places? Treat your friends and family?

I also think you can tell a great deal about your new mate by the way he treats his mother and how she treats her father. Observing how a person regards that parent is key in establishing how he or she will treat you!

If you are in love -- if you've finally met Mr. or Ms. Right -- step back from all that awe and wonderment for a moment and get answers to all of the above. You will find out whether or not this new relationship (the one you've been looking for all this time) is one that will or will not last. As they say, love can be blind, but if it is going to last, love also has to be practical!