However, just last month, I met a man whom I'd be willing to get married to in a heartbeat. No questions asked. He possesses all the qualities I'm looking for in a potential lifetime mate and more. But the one basic thing that attracted me to him is this - the greatness of his character.
Let me tell you a few things I learned about character -
"A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world's torrent." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet), 1749
"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." - Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank, 1929.
"We live in a day when image is placed over character, and I'm angry about it. When the chips are down and life is down to its basics, I don't care how he looks or how he sounds. I care what he is, I care how he thinks. I care what he represents!" - Charles R Swindoll, 1934.
For me, the character of a person determines how he responds to any given adversity or temptation. It is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight, but rather the result of a long process of living and struggling through life's difficulties. In a world of moral erosion, character is what makes a man or a woman stand out.
So what's so great about the character of this man I met just a month ago?
For one, he not only knows the truth but he fights for it. He is a principled man and it shows in how he speaks and how he treats people around him. When I ask him questions, he pauses and thinks first before answering. He looks into my eyes when I'm talking. He knows how to listen well. He doesn't pretend that he knows everything, but often admits that he doesn't really know a lot. When he promises to do something, he will really do it. He always says thank you.
He is honest. He tells facts without adding anything to them. He is always quick to inform me if it's a given fact or it's just his own opinion. He is very humble. He never talks about himself. The only times he does are when he is honoring God and when he is honoring his country. He is very brave.
He is modest. He buys the same style of shoes not because they are fashionable but because they work for him well. His living room does not contain plastic action figures or photos of himself but tons and tons of books that he is actually reading. He eats healthy and encourages me to do the same. His idea of a perfect date does not involve the bed or alcohol but a day spent having good conversations over tuna sandwiches.
He is good friends with a lot of people, even those people who don't share the same beliefs or religion. When I needed to go to the toilet urgently in the middle of an open sea, he didn't roll his eyes or make faces. He kindly took me to a secluded spot with overgrown bushes and went away so I could relieve myself. He loves to sing to me while playing the piano or his guitar.
The time that he brought me to the airport and said goodbye, he touched my face with the palm of his hand not out of lust or with malice but only with pure and tender sincerity. He is a true gentleman.
He makes me good pastrami sandwiches, too.
The name of the man who I'd be willing to marry in a heartbeat is Arie Bar-David. He is 64 years old with eight grandchildren and lives in the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel. He is happily married to Esther who looked like Kirsten Dunst when she was in her 20s. I consider Arie as one of my living heroes.
Unless I find someone who has at least a quarter of Arie's character, I guess I would never settle then.
I would be more than fine just being single. =)
*Credit goes to WJNTY's blog post for giving me the inspiration.
