Usable Vessel

A self-proclaimed “story teller” friend of mine recently announced his relationship commitment to a lovely lady. This young man’s command of words often awes me. This time, he floored me. He refers to himself, not as this woman’s “boyfriend,” but as her “faithful.” His definition has caused the word to linger in my thoughts.

The reason it has is because I’ve always despised “boyfriend/girlfriend.” Boys and girls are children that play. They aren’t committed to much of anything, other than themselves, and aren’t expected to by society. Once we get past a certain age, it seems silly that the relationship label doesn’t evolve.  To be a “Boyfriend/girlfriend” just isn’t adult enough.

Now, there’s the term “dating.” Dating implies, to me, the beginning get-to-know-you stage of a relationship. It’s where you’re both testing compatibility by engaging in various activities together. We all know that, once a couple is exclusive, the dating pretty much slows down. You already know that your compatible. This is why many married, or otherwise committed couples, purposefully schedule a date night. The intention is to bring their relationship back to the early stages of romance that they had during the get-to-know-you phase; lest they forget.  

Society has placed labels on relationships that are even more non-committal. “Significant Other” is a title that’s only good for allowing someone into a hospital room outside of visiting hours. Significant is defined as “important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.” You’ve been noted. You’re on the list. That’s it. Being a “Significant Other” offers no definition as to the couple’s commitment level.

Sadly, these days, even the labels of “husband” and “wife” are shallow because of the ease of terminating the relationship on a legal level. And society’s encouragement to bail at the first sign of discourse.

So now, let’s examine being someone’s “Faithful.” Faithful is an adjective. It describes a person who is “strict or thorough in the performance of duty; true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant; reliable, trusted, believed. It’s impossible to be faithful to anything without a commitment. To be faithful is ALL IN; no grey areas.

Being someone’s Faithful is turning the full meaning of the word into a title; a noun. A noun is a word that’s used to identify. Those of you who are currently being identified as husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, or significant other, wouldn’t you prefer the more noble label of being someone’s Faithful?