Am I the only woman who still wants to be courted? I don't believe I am. In general, we like for a guy to show interest in us. I find the concept of receiving special attention in the attempt to win me over romantic and alluring. Getting a phone call at the beginning of the week to make plans for the end of the week makes me happy. But, do you know what makes me even happier?...Follow-through.

Years ago it was common to meet a man at the mall or at the gas station and he would ask for your number. Conversations would occur over the phone about likes, dislikes, and aspirations. And then after the initial conversing, he would ask you out on a date. The date would typically consist of dinner and a movie. If there was a "love connection", more dates would take place and possibly a relationship would be birthed.

Is courting a dying art? Do dates still happen or have they been replaced with Netflix and chill? What about verbal conversations over the phone? I realize change comes with progression, but do the rules of dating have to change too? I mean does everything have to go down in a DM? I've wondered if social media is to blame. But, is the decline of "traditional courtship" truly one-sided? Nothing in life is, so why would this topic be any different?

“What you tolerate will happen because you allow it.”

An acquaintance of mine uses the above quote religiously and I am inclined to agree with it. In the pursuit of relationships, regardless of the type, - and really all things in life, it is incumbent on us to define what we will not tolerate.

Our world will continue to evolve as long as it keeps turning, but as individuals we have the power to decide what will not change in our lives. So, if you're like me and still like the concepts of courtship, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making it a requirement. Set your standards and stand by them.