No! No! No! to that relationship

We all want to be loved and that is a good thing. It is a great feeling to be in love and to feel love, however, one should not settle for less than they want. I am not talking about placing your expectancies high above what you are willing to give or superficial expectancies, such as, a rich partner who owns a castle or yacht.
The concern here though is about the negatives. It is really disheartening to hear some of the stories that individuals, whether men or women put up with in a relationship and then complain about.
A classic case was where this young lady told her boyfriend that she wanted to slow down the relationship and then he got vengeful and started sending her receipts of past dates and informing her that she needs to reimburse him. The worst part to the story is she is wondering if she should continue the relationship as she does not have the money to repay him. Seriously!!!? This guy is the epitome of jerk and she should run far from him. This is the cue to let her know that she should not continue a relationship with him. He obviously is controlling and if he does not get what he wants then bad things will happen. This would be a toxic relationship and she would not be happy. It makes me feel so upset even just writing this. He has no scruples! When they were dating, he willingly paid for the dates, that is what men do but to want his money back when she wants to slow things down is just plain low.

Growing together or apart

For any relationship to last and to be happy, it needs work. When two person come together in a
relationship, regardless of their baggage that they each carry, their relationship basket is empty and requires them to fill it together. Many persons enter into a relationship and expect everything to happen at once the way that they want it. Also, the relationship may start out perfect, you spend a lot of time together, you complete each others' sentences, you are the ideal perfect couple.
Life does not stand still so you either grow with it or stay still. With life evolving, it could be a matter of job promotions, children or other family issues, such as, illness. These are some of the triumphs or challenges that are in the basket and how they are dealt with determines the strengths of the individuals or even the 'basket'.

Two becoming one

The scriptures teaches that a man and woman shall leave their parents and be joined together in matrimony and the two shall become one.
Is this to be taken literally? Do the two individuals now become like Siamese, where they are always together and doing the same things? Does this mean that they no longer connect with family and friends?
This would seem like a boring and claustrophobic life. I do recognize that there a some people who actually believe that this is what it means when two individuals get married. Sure, you need to spend time with each other and get to know each other more but you also need time apart to cherish the relationship that you have.