Hi everyone, I have never posted on any website like this before,but I came accross it and you all have such sensible advice. Anyway, I just wanted to ask for some opinions on my current situation if that ok
I have been with my boyfriend for just over seven years now and we have a little girl of 6. She wasnt planned and it happened by accident very quickly but we made the best of the situation (He is an amazing father). We bought our first home together pretty much straight away, and for the first couple of years I nagged him to propose. If I am honest it was more because I wanted him to ask me than because I wanted to get married if that makes any sense. I would have been happy with just the validation that our relationship was based on more than making the best of our situation. Anyhoo, eventually he did propose, kinda under duress if I'm honest, and as you can imagine it was an anti-climax. I knew his heart wasnt in it. A year or so down the line I gave him his ring back (not in anger) as I knew that it hadnt been given with the right intention. He agreed this was true and by then I was a little older, the hormones had calmed, and I was more confident in our relationship.
As time has gone on I would have expected him to propose properly, we have a fantastic relationship, have bought a second home, supported each other through career changes etc, all the hallmarks of a marriage without being married.
With now having two homes and a daughter the subject of legal issues should anything happen to one of us has come up. Now if I mention getting a Cohabitation agreement signed up he is all for it, happy to ensure there will be no problems with the house should anything happen. BUT if I mention marriage he is all "er, er will talk about it another time er er..." To me with our relationship the way it is, the only difference between a cohabitation agreement and marriage is that one is covering your * * * for when you split up and one is saying you want to be together forever and not split up (I know there are no guarantees in life but still, thats always the starting intention).
Recently a lot of friends have been getting engaged or married and it has still not prompted him to think about things differently. He has been asked to be best man at his best mates wedding next year, and he is tackling the job with vigour and enthusiasm! When I asked him if he had thought how I might feel about this he said it hadnt even occurred to him. I dont want to see him up there making a speech about how cracking someone elses relationship is when he cant find the words for ours.
When marriage has been discussed before the one thing we have both agreed on is that we would hate the big day, expense, family etc. We would both want to go away and do it very low key, so its not as if its the actual day that frightens him.
So the end result is I am feeling like I am not worthy of being his wife in the formal sense, despite being it in every other sense, and I sort of feel like I am being a ad example to my little girl in settling for a situation that doesnt make me feel happy and fulfilled. Any advice?
BTW I am 29 he is 34