Prayer for a Spouse

After the period of confusion when we were terrified of dying if we got COVID-19,

the whole country was in a state of madness, to the point where we just wanted to get it over with.

Even as COVID-19 raged, we continued to meet,

and some people even started dating, but most of them didn't end up in a formal relationship.

Even when relationships did start, they often ended by mutual agreement within a few weeks.

I was sick of the guy who kept asking me to wear my mask properly, even though he had a chin strap.

I couldn’t understand why a man who claimed to be in a relationship would refuse to have normal conversations, and he treated me like he was on a silent retreat.

I thought he was kind and polite, but he scared me because he would cut lanes as soon as he got behind the wheel.

He wasn’t even a foreigner, but it was comical how often he mixed English into his text messages.

He was so sensitive and his remarks felt like he was hiding his true self.

“There are a lot of people you’ve never met before, and you probably will. You will too.”

My best friend, who always listened to my failed dating stories, was amazed that I was learning about a new world through real life, not through dramas or movies.

Meeting people was more mentally and physically draining than I thought.

The matchmaking team leader went on sick leave for a few months, and I naturally took a break from dating and focused on my daily life.

“What kind of person do I want to meet?”

I confided in my friend, feeling frustrated that I was being too picky.

“In church, they write a prayer for a spouse. I remember writing down all the qualities of the person I wanted to meet, starting with their height and personality.

Why don’t you write down all the things you want. Writing things down helps you get organized.

You can refer to what you wrote and see if the people you meet check all the boxes.”

Following my friend’s advice, I opened the notepad on my smartphone and started writing down whatever came to mind.

I read through what I had written, including the qualities of my ideal partner, from appearance to personality, and chuckled to myself.

A person like that doesn’t exist.