#TheSW30: Day 8; Dear Future Husband

Day 8: Five things that are most important to you in a future mate.

Excuse me, I'm trying to deal with the stinging pain of the reality slap I just got across the face.  Ouch!  That reality?  I've never really sat and thought about this.  Most women probably have a list of characteristics they want in a future mate.  I normally just get myself too wrapped up in attraction (and a little bit of liquid courage) to even consider if the guy meets any criteria to be in my future.  Yup, that's happened 100% of the time in Boise.  For shame on me.  This must be a sign that it's time to get real and these are things I'm just now realizing are important to me.

1) Have career aspirations and financial stability:  I'm not saying the guy has to make millions, but I'd like him to be able to stand on his two feet and be driven.  A week after I graduated from college, I picked up everything and moved 2,100 miles to Boise to start working toward my career goals.  It was also the first time I made enough money to keep my own roof over my head and have enough left over to enjoy life a little.  I'd like my future husband to at least be on the same level as me when it comes to work and finances. Plus, to see a man driven in his career and really love his job is kind of a turn on.

2) Have a sense of humor:  I'm not talking like stand up comedian funny.  I mean quick witted and sarcastic.  I fire off a lot of sarcasm and someone that can fire it back at me just as quickly is golden.  In fact, I'd love to have an entire conversation like that as I laugh my butt off.

3) Must love sports: It's no secret that I love football and hockey.  I don't know if that makes me too much "one of the guys," but I can guarantee that it's not going to change soon. It would be really hard for me to be with someone that can't get into throwing on their team colors and getting into a game with me.

4) Loyal and honest:  To his family.  To his friends.  To his significant other.  Basically, just be a good person who isn't shady behind the backs of people he cares about.  Not being a cheater or hiding the fact that they're seeing other women before a relationship is defined would fall in line here.

5) Patience:  This is a big one for me.  My job requires that I work some really bizarre hours sometimes.  It's really hard for me to turn my mind off in the evenings, so I sleep about 4-5 hours a night.  When I'm tired I can be a little moody.  Or when I've been on the go for 12-14 hours, I may just be quiet or want some space to decompress. I need a guy that can respect that, let me be when I need to and love me through it all.

Finally putting together "the list" was more difficult than I thought it would be, but it's a good thing to have.  Hopefully with these five things in mind, I can more clearly see red flags more clearly instead of just going through the motions and ignoring my gut feeling.  That's one of the things I've learned from The Single Woman - a red flag is just a stop sign waiting to happen.

Ladies, what are you your five musts in your future mate?  Tweet me and let me know at @michelleonkiss.