My friends joke that I am always in a relationship, which is true. I have basically been in a relationship since sixth grade: Elliot, Nick, Billy, Scott, Dan, Alec, Colton, David, Andrew, Pat, Sean and Josh. I am not a needy girl, however. I’m not looking for some guy to protect me and I am not planning to run off and marry anybody right now.

I like to be in relationships not because I am looking for “the One,” but because I enjoy the company and the companionship. To me a boyfriend is more than a guy I like or like to hang out with; he also becomes my best friend. I can confide in [insert boy’s name] and he can always provide a new outlook. Girls can sometimes get caught up in the details of a situation and begin to overanalyze, but guys are usually better at seeing the simple answer. My boyfriend helps me get through the dramatic twists and turns of my teenage social life. The companionship a boyfriend provides help to balance out the rollercoaster ride called life.

Some people worry about me because they think I’ll rely too much on these boys. This is mostly my parents and my friends, but they don’t need to worry. I get it. I’m not boy-crazy or boy-obsessed. Having a boyfriend relieves me from having that boy-crazed feeling. Also, having a boyfriend means that I do not need to go looking for one. Girls are almost always talking about boys and who likes who. By keeping a boyfriend, I almost completely cut that drama out of my life. That drama – does he like me or does he not? – can be stressful, a stress that I do not need on top of all of my school work. Having a boyfriend means I do not have to worry about finding one.

Now do not get me wrong; I am a romantic and I enjoy being courted and wooed. It’s a bonus that comes with the companionship and the company that a boyfriend provides. I want my boyfriend to hold my hand and whisper secrets in my ear, just like any other girl. I still enjoy fantasizing about being a princess and finding my Prince Charming. This doesn’t mean that I am planning to fall head over heels for every guy I date and plan out the rest of our lives together as we live “happily ever after.” In fact, too much companionship is suffocating. I had one relationship that got really intense. The guy was always with me and he seemed to want to be together forever. As he began to try to take over my life, I realized the imbalance between my boyfriend and the rest of my life meant I had to leave him.
I need balance among all aspects of my life: my friends, my family, school, dance, and my boyfriend. This is one lesson that my mom will never let me forget. When my mom was in college she dated one guy for all four years. When she went back to her reunion she felt as if she did not know anyone because she had spent all of her time with him. She does not want that to happen to me so she always tells me to take a step back and analyze my relationships. Do I still like the guy? Am I happy? Am I having fun? This process of “checking in with myself,” although annoying sometimes, helps me know that I am in a good healthy relationship. This has helped most of my relationships end on good terms.
Relationships are a part of my life and help define me as an individual. My outlook on relationships is that they are there to provide me with another companionship and create a little romance in my life. I am a teenager and I have my whole life ahead of me. I will enjoy the moments and the relationships and all the different wonderful guys I get to chance to be with. Each relationship helps me grow into who I am and discover who I want to be. As Snow White once said, “Someday my Prince will come,” but for now I’m just busy being me with [insert boy’s name here].