With the debut of her new show, Being Mary Jane, still on the minds of all who tuned into BET this week, Gabrielle Union’s latest magazine feature is a pleasant surprise. The newly engaged Gabby sat down with Glamour Magazine to talk about the DO’s and the DON’Ts of dating.
While her current relationship is under a microscope, there’s one thing that is fact: when Gabby loves, she loves hard – and so does her character Mary Jane – making this primetime for the article.
Thanks to Glamour, Gabby delves into the wisdom she’s gathered from her failed marriage, her kick-ass girlfriends, and long-time romance with Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade.
Check out the advice below from Gabby, who is our friend in our head anyway, as she gives some bare bones advice on how to navigate this confusing dating maze.
DO forget your “type.” It worked for me.
When I met Dwyane, his “résumé” looked like crap: athlete, going through a divorce, nine years younger than me. None of that screamed, “Let’s have a lasting relationship.” Then, after I had a heart-crushing breakup with yet another immature jerk, I thought, it can’t be any worse if I date a fetus. Let’s just see what happens. Turned out he’d been on his own since he was 15. He had wisdom that comes with facing an insane amount of adversity. He’s sweet, funny, honest about his shortcomings. When I put my preconceived notions to the side, I found someone cool.
DO show him your feelings. Daily.
Dwyane generally gets up before I do to go to the gym, and he’s never left without kissing me and telling me he loves me. As for me, I am complimentary to the point where I am almost a little Chester the Molester-y. I think he’s so delicious. Watching him get out of the shower never gets old. Never. It’s not like he ever wonders what I’m thinking, but usually he’s thinking, She needs a cold shower!
DO talk babies early on.
If you really want a family, and the guy cringes when you bring it up, you’re not in the same place. Maybe he’ll get there, but you can’t pooh-pooh that shudder.
DO indulge your inner freak.
Sometimes my girlfriends will mention sexting or certain positions as something they’d do only with a guy on spring break. They’ll say, “You don’t do that with someone you love.” And I’ll say, “That’s who you’re supposed to do it with.” If I can do this awesome, amazing thing with some dude I met at a bar, why wouldn’t I be able to do it with the person I love? If you’re into it and he’s into it and it’s legal enough that the police aren’t going be involved—then go for it! Do it. A lot.”
DON’T rush into marriage out of fear of dying alone.
I got married at 28 because my friends were getting married, starting to have kids—and, in my mind, 26, 27 was old. I thought, I’d better jump on this because soon I’ll be 30 and an old maid. And I chose wrong. You can’t go by what your friends are doing or your family is influencing you to do. Think about this: Worst-case scenario, do you want to give this fool half of your money? As the person who had to write the check at the end of my marriage, had I thought about that, I’d have put more time into choosing the right person. And, yes, the wait can be scary—that feeling of “Am I always going to be watching TV alone, cooking for one; is my best friend my only real soulmate?” But the right person is worth the wait.”
Oh KAY Gabby. That was some solid advice. Head over to Glamour Magazine for more Do’s and Don’ts from the actress.
SOURCE: Glamour | PHOTO CREDIT: Splash
