There comes a time in your relationship when you and your partner make the transition from casual to ~official~. No matter how long it takes, once you've had "the talk", you're probably going to start hearing your bae refer to you as their girlfriend or partner. This is particularly true when they're introducing you to their friends, colleagues, or family members for the first time. The best things about being introduced as your partner's girlfriend might be subtle in the grand scheme of life, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve to revel in all of their amazing glory. Admit it: It feels good!
But let's be real. While dating can be a ton of fun, it can also be an immensely draining process. Although not everyone needs a partner to be happy, finding someone to share your heart with (whether you were looking for it or not) is one of the greatest feelings in the world — as is the rush of warmth that comes from knowing they're eagerly putting the new label to good use. This minor change in verbiage can feel like a huge deal, and it is! That's why you definitely deserve to soak it in.
Just hearing the word "girlfriend" come cascading out of their mouth the first couple of times is enough to send most of us into a giddy stupor. Gone are the days of vague introductions that don't feel weighty enough to represent all of the intense feels you've both developed.
There's just something really special about coming across a person who makes you want to be with them, labels and all, you know? Plus, getting to introduce them as your "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" and let everyone know that this amazing person is your bae feels pretty amazing too.
Once you've fallen for someone, the weeks or months leading up to "the talk" can be legitimately agonizing. Not knowing where you stand with the person who has you sprung really is enough to make most people feel physically ill. Having someone in your life who brings out all of your emotional goodies while also knowing that they might not want to take things to the next level is scary. So, it's totally understandable why all of the perks of becoming official feel like an epic emotional release.
Long before your SO was dropping the g-bomb, there may have been a friend or colleague that made you or your partner feel a little uneasy. The presence of competition in love isn't something people like to talk about, but it can feel like a totally legit concern before you've locked each other down.
Maybe your partner made your co-worker's eyes twinkle at the holiday Christmas party. Or, perhaps a "platonic friend" of theirs laughed a bit too hard at a joke they made — resulting in the most intense urge to roll your eyes you've had since middle school. But, being crowned as the new queen of their kingdom (kidding, kind of) is a not-so-subtle signal that you and your partner are no longer up for grabs.
Now you and your SO can fully lean in to the honeymoon phase of your relationship with the peace of mind that you're on the same page. So often we focus on the aspects of our lives that aren't going in the direction that we want, while failing to fully bask in the moments of awesomeness that do come our way. Riding the high of the great things as they come — even if it's just a new word that signals a positive shift in your relationship — is definitely a good thing.
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