If a relationship, date, or one night stand was not a positive experience, do not embarrass the other person.  You wouldn’t want them to say anything about you, would you?

If asked why you broke the relationship, keep it simple and say, “We didn’t click.”

On the flip side, if the relationship is going well and outsiders pry, tell them, “We’re very happy.”

No details necessary.

If you are asked for your phone number and do not want to share it, you might say, “Thank you for asking, but I’m very busy right now.”

Never give someone a fake number.  By doing so, you are giving them hope and may anger them when they discover it’s a false number.  You wouldn’t want someone to do that to you, would you?  Honesty is the best policy.

You have crossed the line if:

1) Either party is married or in a serious relationship.

2) You cannot share any part of the conversation with your partner.

Do these rules sound similar to anything you may have read in the Bible?  The Bible and etiquette are closely related and flirt on common topics.

Communication is very important to a first date.  Make sure you select a location that allows you to easily hear each other.  Visiting a local bar with a loud band or attending a rock concert would not be a good choice for a first date because it would be difficult to have a conversation in either situation.

To help her put the coat on, stand behind the lady and hold the coat open at her waist level.  This allows the lady to reach her arms back and find the armholes.  Once her hands are in the armholes, the gentleman raises the coat up to her shoulders.

Never hold the coat higher than waist level.  Doing so makes it difficult for the lady to reach the armholes.

Also, always offer to hang or check the lady’s coat when you arrive at your destination.  To check a coat, take both your coat and her coat to the coat check and get a claim check(s) or ticket(s) for them.  When you are ready to leave, present the claim check(s) or ticket(s) at the coat check.  Remember to place a tip of a dollar per coat in the tip jar.

The gentleman will help the lady put her coat on before he puts his on.

Ladies, never forget to say thank you to the gentleman when he helps you with your coat.

I frequently hear men saying, “Why do I always have to remember to put the seat down?  Why can’t she remember to put it up for me?”

The question at hand comes down to a safety issue.  Take this story a male friend shared with me into consideration.

During his regular routine of getting ready for bed, he left the toilet seat up.  In the middle of the night, his wife had a desperate urge to make a run to the bathroom.  Getting there in the nick of time, she sat down on the rim of the toilet seat.  Losing her balance, she fell into the bowl and hit her head on the tank.  The tank lid fell to the floor shattering pieces of porcelain all over the bathroom.  She broke her back and my friend had to get stitches in his feet after cutting them on the broken pieces of porcelain as he assisted her.

The lesson to be learned: To maintain a happy and healthy relationship, put the toilet seat down.

I felt so sorry for these people.  They were so caught up in the materialism of the holiday and appeared to have forgotten the courtesies of giving and accepting gifts.

Valentine’s Day is a time for celebrating relationships with people who are special in our lives.  We should give a gift because we want do something special for someone, not because we are expected to.  On the flip side, we should never expect a gift or complain about any gift given to us, but should be gracious for receiving a gift at all.

When you care about someone, you should foster your relationship by expressing your appreciation for them throughout the year. Don’t expect one big day in February to fill your quota for the year.  Help with a household chore, give a back rub, hand them a warm towel when they come out of the shower, wash their car, or go out to dinner just because it’s a Tuesday or Wednesday.

This doesn’t mean it’s all right to skip Valentine’s Day, but you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on expensive material gifts.  Do simple things that are meaningful and will be remembered.  Cook a dinner at home together and dine by candlelight.  It might be fun to look through cookbooks and shop for those special ingredients together.  Pick up a favorite dessert to share.  Surprise your SO with breakfast and cut the toast into heart shapes.  Write a meaningful poem.

You may even consider expanding your appreciation to the friends who support you throughout the year.  Call them on the phone or e-mail them to say you’re thinking of them and want to thank them for being there for you.  Did someone make you laugh or did they listen to you when you were down?  This would be a great time to thank them for being a friend.

Our four-legged friends who are always there with unconditional love may enjoy an extra long walk in the park.  Your heart would also benefit from the exercise.

Just think of the many things money can’t buy.  A loved one or friend who can’t get around or is in a nursing home may cherish the gift of time you spend with them.

Most importantly, no matter what day of the year it may be, tell them why you love them.

Coming straight from my heart, I truly appreciate each and everyone of you who read my postings.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Under no circumstances should a date ever be broken to go out with someone else.

Think of the Golden Rule here, “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.”

Sharing your affection for someone is a personal matter and should be done in private. If the students I witnessed displaying their affection did not have a private setting to do this in, perhaps this is a hint they should not be doing it at all.

Students are not the only guilty ones. I also see adults partaking in this activity in public places.

Holding hands, a hug or quick peck on the cheek during a greeting or good-bye are acceptable and should be the limit to PDA.

Showing attentiveness and respect to someone can be a much stronger and appropriate confirmation of your commitment to another individual than swapping spit.

When a couple is walking somewhere other than on a sidewalk, the gentleman always walks on the lady’s left side. This is the same position a wedding couple will exit the church after the ceremony.

In times past, it was not uncommon for a married man to have an escort for an evening. In this situation, the man walked on the escort’s right side. By doing so, it was very easy for others to identify the woman as his mistress or his wife.