Long-term engagement brings on frustration

DEAR AMY » I’m 55 years old. I’ve been engaged to a 44-year-old man since 2013. After seven years spent with the both of us living with his parents, he keeps saying that he wants to get married. We have even planned a small wedding a couple of times, but he never goes through with it.

I love this man totally, but I’m just not happy with the current living situation.

How do I get him to understand — or should I walk away?

— Torn

DEAR TORN » Your guy already understands you. He knows what you want.

He obviously does not want the same thing.

When you’re wrapped up in a relationship with a very long history (such as yours), things can seem quite complicated, but never forget this very simple fact: The great majority of the time, people do what they want to do.

Take a good 360-degree look at your situation with this thought: “People do what they want to do.”

(Go ahead and circle the room; I’ll wait.)

Your guy likes things just as they are. How many times must he demonstrate that he likes things as they are in order for you to believe him?

And why would you continue to want to marry someone who quite obviously does not want to marry you? I assume it is because you also like — or at least can tolerate — things just as they are.

You are 55 years old. Your choices are to either get with the program and choose to spend the rest of your life engaged and cohabiting with your guy’s parents, or to leave. But — because YOU have this choice, you don’t get to blame him for your unhappiness.

DEAR AMY » In a recent column, you published a question from “New Mama.” She had a new baby and her husband had a long commute to his job. According to her, he was unsympathetic to what she was going through.

I’m a little tired of these women who have babies and then whine and cry about having to take care of them.

Breastfeeding (if that’s what you do) and losing a little sleep in the beginning is natural and part of the job.

Her husband works long and hard so that she has the privilege of taking care of that baby at home.

When are these women going to wake up and stop whining about it? I had children, breastfed, and took care of them myself. My husband went to work every day so that we had a lot of good things in life.

I appreciated that.

— Fed Up

DEAR FED UP » In addition to taking sole care of her baby, “New Mama” was also working (from home) to bring in household money.

Additionally, is it absolutely necessary that everyone should experience life’s challenges with the same equanimity as you have?

You seem to have been both fortunate and competent during your childrearing years. Now might be a good time to work on your compassion.