If you're in a relationship/marriage, why?

Sticky Wickets	I am n ot in a relationship nor a marriage............but i'm still happy and content with my life the way it is.

Uknwthetype	Protection, security

shanla	Love and knowing that someone will be there with me and for me for the rest of my life.( married almost 35 years and wouldn't change a thing)

â™« Sugar M â™«	I'm with my boyfriend because we're a team. I love being with him through the good and the bad. He's my bestfriend. We do a ton of fun stuff together, and eventually I want a family with him

Dena D	Hmmm. Hes always there for me. Makes me smile when I need to smile. Can always get me to laugh. Cna tell when theres something on my mind. Brings out the best of me.

smartypants909	Because we enjoy each other's company, we enjoy doing the same things together, to take care of each other as we grow old together. We have been married 34 years.

chi chi	i guess after awhile it becomes more of a comfort zone. The thought of going elsehwere and desire goes away because in this special person who see and have evrything you want. Its a special connection you get with them...

llcentlous	i feel i would not be complete with out him. i am slightly co-dependent -and i don't feel i would be able to find anyone else. Also there are reasons i cannot put into words... i cannot understand why i love him... i just do

Alicia S	I dont believe in relationships or marriage 4 me. its just never been my thing but maybe one day when im a little older i will start to date. I like being free and not tied down, it makes me feel in control,and i like that.

chuckie3003	i love my gf/fiance... weve been together for 8 yrs...we were high school sweethearts... thru the years, we've had our ups and downs but we stuck together... it made our bond stronger... i love her because she respects me and i respect her as well... she is my best friend... whenver i need someone to be with me thru the bad and good times... i know she will be there no matter what...

Kris L	My husband works, I am retired ... my husband comes home at night and cooks our dinner (he was a professional chef for 15+ years, I was just a 'professional and family cook' and I 'burned out) ... my husband washes my back when I take a bath (I don't shower at all, and he does this 99 times out of 100) ... and I do things for him that are 'nice' so he's 'spoiled' too ... those are all very nice things, but the reason we are in THIS 'relationship' is because we made a 'vow before God' to 'love each other fully and forever and beyond' ... NO MATTER WHAT. We have an excellent income, an apartment we love, and a lifestyle we love, but if all of that 'went away in an instant,' it would make NO DIFFERENCE to us ... we LOVE EACH OTHER UNCONDITIONALLY ... in sickness and in health, in the fanciest place to live or under the freeway, NOTHING MATTERS except that we are TOGETHER, and we can go to sleep next to each other (we hold hands as we fall asleep and we must 'touch' all night) ... Happiness can come and go, but UNCONDITIONAL LOVE lasts forever and beyond.

maryam r	He makes me happy because he loves me very much he is very supporting and careing and all of this makes me happpy just knowing i have some1 there 4 me and the thing i gain from this relationship is more love each and every day and thats something u cant sell or buy.If ur love is true.:)

me<3	I love being married to my husband for lots of reasons we are like best friends I can tell him anything and I feel so comfortable around him he makes me feel special and he takes care of me I love the feeling of waking up in his arms and I love to take care of him too I believe he is my soul mate I feel so lucky that we found each other =]

e2008	hmmm- i'm in a realtionship because it just happened-i wasn't looking for him or anything0 he came to me and swept me off my feet- it just happeneds thats all i could really say- He makes me happy in somany ways- he is ther for me mentally-physically-spititually-emotionaâ€¦ is my other 1/2. he helps around the house- pays the bills-he's the protector- the provider the lover and friend-i wouldn't trade him for the world- but don't get me wrong there are ups and downs in all relationships but they're just obstacles to make u closer- to test your love ya kno'-i love my "daddy" so much- we've been together for 3 years and we still can't keep our hands off each other-we have 2 beautiful girls.....what do u gain???? happiness, love, family,strength.....and purpose.( i hope i spelt it right..purpose)....

Shanae	Well. I am currently in a relationship because I'm pregnant with triplets and I think my current boyfriend is one of their daddies. I am very excited about him being it's father. I chose him to be with because he is he poorest and can't pay the child support. The other two are rich. They pay well. So I'll get good child support from the other two. And a good time with the one I'm living with!! LOL!

Rhode Island Red	I have gained a life long partner who enjoys the same things I do and we have the same goals for our life together, marriage, children. He is a good man, honest, and funny as all heck. We make each other happy and I love him more than I thought possible. Life is fun by yourself but it is so much more enjoyable with someone wonderful by your side through thick and thin.

mama	first and foremost, there's no way someone will be in a relationship but it depend on the kind of relationship you both place each other 1. am in a relationship just to make myself hapy, and wish is going to end in a marriage. 2. am in a relationship to support myself in terms of when i needed someone to help me finacially. 3. am getting marriade to have a child of my own

Roberts Baby	he completes me, he is my other half he makes me so happy the way he cares for me and shows it everyday. the bond we share is rare very few ppl ever experience it, he has become my best friend and i trust him more than life, theres nothing i wont do for him. its pure unconditional love, we are still together after 6yrs! what do you gain from a relationship? easy, Comfort,Support,Love,Respect,Dedication,â€¦ Trust,happiness in knowing your loved. and so much more. if you dont risk it all for love you really miss out on a lot.

lina inverse	companionship is a big one, i just love coming home from work and getting a big hug and kiss, and also doing the same when he returns. emotional closeness, when i am feeling "down", i want to just hear his voice and i feel better. i like feeling like i am part of something bigger, a family, so i have my own mini-circle of people to spend time with and have fun. i love joking around and laughing together at stuff nobody else would "get". being the best person i can be and removing selfishness from my life for my spouse. i am happier doing things for him than i am when i do things "just for me". he knows what to say to me when i'm feeling down. it's like having a best friend that also takes care of you down to every last detail, and being able to take care of him down to every last detail. knowing that i'm not perfect but he's still ok with that. being part of a "couple", it's so cool to be with someone and just know you can touch them or rest you head on their shoulder and it's all ok. physical closeness that lets you be all in their space that you can never have with anyone else. makes me want to be a better person for him and for myself. som

Knowitall	What I gain...good question. I guess i want to be loved and cared for by someone who is committed to me. I want to have a friend and lover that is not critical or judgmental like the rest of the world but accepting of me and my few flaws. long term relationships, can turn into real love. That means that you have made it past the passion and humping and actually gotten to the real relationship building portion of the communion. Committed long term relationships provide security, and meaningful bonds that can not be made in short term relationships. Many get addicted to the new relationship and destroy the relationships they are in because of this. Or they feel they are missing something; like there is some great party they know is out there but haven't found yet. many never get to understand what real love is about and this shows in their lives, marriages, and divorces. and my wife brings beer during the game wearing a teddy...sweet!

molly b	I have been in several relationships and been divorced as well. I am with my current spouse because I fell in love with his mind. We worked together and I did not like him at first, in fact he made me mad, but as time went by I got to know him better and found out the reason he made me so angry sometimes was because we are alot alike. I have learned many lessons from him and taught him some also. He is older than I am, but we seem to feel very comfortable with each other. We both treat the relationship as an even commitment. We share in all of the aspects of living together. Yard work, cooking, cleaning, etc. What I have gained is a friend, a partner, a lover and companionship. Hope this helps with your research.

rusty71987	gosh, I really dont know. Relationships make you gain confusion, but a confusion you're addicted to... no, relationships give you confidence and someone to support you and better understnd you. You dont choose your relationship, they just kinda happen really. You have to love yourself first tho, you cant make someone complete you, you are in a realtionship so someone is complimenting your completeness...

Barbara B	My SO and I are truly an example of how sometimes opposites attract. We come from different backgrounds, different social standings, different education levels, and different generations (heâ€™s 27 years older than I am). Still we get along so well! We like to laugh at our differences. Iâ€™m a â€œhigh-born-city-galâ€ and heâ€™s an â€œuneducated-hillbilly.â€ I believe that dogs should live in the house as members of the family. He grew up firmly insisting that dogs belonged outside to chase â€œvarmints.â€ We like to focus on our similarities. Both of us play music, love to go to auctions, love the out of doors, living simply, and are basically intrinsically happy, positive-thinking people. See, no one can make another happy. One can make it easier for someone to choose to be happy â€“ but the only person who can make you happy is yourself. I credit our open minds and willingness to respect each other â€“ as who we are â€“ not in spite of who we are â€“ to the success of our relationship. We live in a tight-knit community where blood ties run very deep. I am a stranger to this area and when we first got together, his â€œclanâ€ came to me with â€œwho are you and what are you doing with our elder statesman?â€ Hopefully I have put any fears of trying to manipulate him to rest. The last thing I would ever do would be to come between him and his adult children. In fact, we have discussed marriage â€“ but decided against it because of the inheritance laws in our state. I wouldnâ€™t want to deprive his children of their birthrights. Oh sure, there are difficulties. His age and deteriorating health (heart problems, old injuries, diabetes) sometimes make for challenges. Heâ€™s not as spry as he once was. But he treats me like a queen. Heâ€™d do anything for me â€“ and I would do anything for him. Truly my SO is a prince among men. I am so blessed.

Kat H	There are many reasons I'm married. We got married at 22 after we had been dating for a year and a half. We were both in the military, so we were really afraid that we'd get stationed apart. After a couple month seperation due to a tdy we decided to get married. We've been married for almost six years, so seems to have been a good decision so far. My husband makes me happy by being a good provider, being a good support, being a good listener, not letting my moodiness get to him, being a great father, and of course I think he's super hot! ;-) I love having him around and I miss him when he's gone. I genuinly get happy when he comes home from work and even when I've had a bad day, he makes me feel better. Every day isn't perfect but the good outweighs the bad and that's why I'm married!

Laura T	I am in a relationship because I truly enjoy the company of my husband. He is my everything. If anything happens during my day, he is the first to know. He makes me happy just by being there to listen to my day or to help me make dinner. He makes me happy because he is a great dad and a loving husband. He is constantly challenging me to be a better person and always supporting me to try new things or go back to school or learn a new skill. We just work well together.

nyjae	I am in a relationship with my boyfriend right now because I truly love him. I believe that he will make a great husband and father one day and am working towards marriage. he is a a hardworking, attractive and caring man and there are the things that are important to me. He does not make happy, as I am already happy, but being with him feels good and it feels right. What I gain from the relationship is the knowledge that i can achieve anything I dream of and that my individual happiness is my responsibility. I can not look to him for happiness but I can enjoy it with him. Also because whenever he does something that h thinks will piss me off I start laughing and say I am not mad. The look of relief on his face warms my heart.