Not sure how to tell if the guy you’re in love with is the man you should have as your husband and life-long partner?
If the man you’re dating does these 21 things regularly — and even if he only does some of them — he might be serious marriage material.
Like, lock that man down now.
If your guy does these 21 things, the answer is yes, you should marry him.
1. He knows your breakfast order by heart.
Whether it’s a toasted whole wheat sesame bagel with scrambled eggs and cheese and freshly squeezed orange juice or just black coffee. He’ll run out to pick it up or take you with him and recite your order by heart.
He pays attention to the details of what you like.
2. He checks in on his way home.
With a quick text, “Leaving the bar in 10 minutes. See you soon…†he lets you know that he hasn’t forgotten you, and that he’s ready to be with his favorite person again.
He’s not sending this text because he thinks you’re paranoid, needy or insecure. He sends it out of mutual respect. He knows that giving you a head’s up prevents you from worrying about his safety or his level of sobriety. And it reminds you that he realizes the best part of his night has yet to begin.
It’s also keeping you in the loop so you can cue up the movie you’ve been waiting to watch together.
3. He takes care of you.
He’ll grab you an Advil and a glass of water if you have a headache. He’ll hit the pharmacy for some tissues and cough meds and pick up chicken noodle soup when you have a bad head cold.
He’ll force you to take zinc lozenges and nudge you to see a doctor when you claim to be too busy to make an appointment.
4. He calls during the day just to check in.
He may have a funny story to share or he might simply want to see how work is going. He’ll often try to convince you to shut down early so you can spend time together.
5. He’s great with kids.
In fact, you’re pretty sure he could run a sports camp of some type. Kids flock to him and are eager to spend time with him. He’s a great role model. His upbeat personality and enthusiasm are infectious.
There are huge grins on children’s little faces when he’s around.
6. He makes time for you.
No matter how busy things get for him, he’ll never forget to set aside consistent alone time with you. You’re a priority to him, so he’s not afraid to turn down plans with “the guys†in favor of some QT with his lady.
7. He’s responsive to each and every one of your calls and texts.
He’ll never go missing for multiple days in a row. He’s reliable. He won’t stand you up when you have plans. He doesn’t ask for rain checks because excuses are not part of his DNA.
He’s not one to be consistently late because he cares enough to be on time.
8. He doesn’t keep in touch with ex-girlfriends.
He knows that once a relationship is over, there is no good that can come from staying in close contact, particularly once he’s in a new relationship. There are no strange phone numbers popping up on his cell phone.
Not that you know this because you don’t even feel the need to cybersnoop.
9. He randomly buys you scratch lotto cards.
He loves handing you a coin and watching you uncover the numbers on the card. You’ll plan together what you’d do with the money if you should win.
He’s a dreamer. And you love dreaming with him.
10. On certain occasions, you receive heartfelt gifts accompanied by thoughtful greeting cards.
You’re into birthdays and anniversaries, so he is happy to celebrate them with you. If he knows you’re into writing, he’ll get you a beautiful journal.
He inserts his humor into presents, too. For instance, if he sings you your favorite song, he’ll change the words to lyrics so they’re about that annoying co-worker you’ve been telling him about.
11. He’ll be a homebody when you’d rather be at home with his hot body.
Instead of getting dressed up and spending a lot of money on a big night out, he’s ecstatic to stay in and curl up on the couch with you to watch a movie and order takeout.
His back-to-back partying nights are behind him and he’s perfectly ok with it.
12. He still screams like a 7-year-old boy when his favorite football team scores a touchdown.
He will be loyal to his team no matter how many times they lose, how many quarterbacks they go through in one season, or how far down the rankings they fall.
This loyalty will be passed down to his relationships with family, friends, and even his future spouse. Once devoted, he’s in it for life.
13. He’s still regularly in touch with several of his childhood friends.
Each considers your guy his best friend. He makes the time to call them back to find out what’s going on with them and will find a way to connect with them despite living in different cities and time zones.
14. He over-tips the wait staff at restaurants on a regular basis and is exceptionally polite to service industry workers in general.
You know that if he cares enough to treat total strangers with respect that he’d do that times ten for you, and everyone else he loves.
15. He’s mature.
He is not one to get swept up in the crowd’s momentum without making his own decisions.
If several of his friends are doing whiskey shots until 4 AM, he’s the one making sure the tab is paid and that everyone gets home safely.
16. He’s incredibly handsome without trying.
He’s low maintenance and dresses for comfort. The more you’ve gotten to know him, the better looking he’s become.
He couldn’t care less what brand your jeans are or how high your heels are. He finds you beautiful in everything.
17. He says at least one thing every day that makes you crack up.
It’s not always intentional — sometimes, it’s just his outlook on things. Though he definitely gets your sense of humor and loves to make you laugh.
18. He knows how to handle you when you’re in a bad mood.
Whether it’s letting you rant for ten minutes straight while you go on about the incredibly selfish friend you have or to force you to go for a walk.
He knows better than to start pressing buttons when you’re in this state and he’ll always take your side, even if you’re wrong.
19. He’s secure enough to love your strengths.
He supports and encourages your independence, which is what he loves about you. He respects your need to keep up your own friendships but is happy to join you when invited.
20. He smells really good.
When you hug him, you just want to keep on hugging him, just to breathe in his amazing scent that encapsulates the unique impression he makes.
You hope that whatever you’re wearing will absorb just a little bit of his magic and hold on tight to it, releasing traces of it sporadically throughout your day.
21. He’s your biggest fan.
When someone asks him about you, he lights up and proudly describes someone that you’re excited to be.
He celebrates your successes because he’s someone who knows you inside and out and can appreciate both your struggles and achievements.
Stacey Becker is a 30-something writer who lives with her very tall, Star Wars-loving husband in New York City along with their baby daughter and equally cute dog, Wally.
This article was originally published at Thought Catalog. Reprinted with permission from the author.