Should I Marry My Boyfriend of 10 Years Even Though I’ve Never Felt “Head Over Heels” in Love?
I’m in such a complicated situation, and I can’t really ask my family, my boyfriend, or anyone else for unbiased advice lol.
Basically, I’ve been dating this guy for the past 10 years. He came into my life right after my ex-boyfriend. He won me over because of how much he loved me and how much effort he put into our relationship. He would do anything for me. Whenever we argued, he would show up at my workplace with bags of chocolates, flowers, etc. He is so attentive when I speak, gives me advice for hours, and never seems to get bored of listening to me. This was completely different from my ex, who barely replied to me or paid attention to me.
I started liking him because of how sweet he was. However, I never really felt giddy or had butterflies with him. I stayed because he felt like my best friend—someone who was always there for me. Obviously, I was his girlfriend, so we were physically affectionate and everything, but he never really gave me that feeling of being completely head-over-heels in love.
I continued dating him because, at the time, I had so much stress in my life and at work, and he was always there to support me. The next thing I knew, 10 years had passed. We started talking about marriage, and we agreed that he could come and ask my family for my hand.
The other complication is that he is from a different culture. He is Pakistani, and I’m Afghan. My family does not like this and thinks that, out of everyone I could marry, he would be the worst match for me.
Now I’m extremely conflicted. By choosing him, I know I wouldn’t make my parents happy—not that I base my decisions entirely on how everyone else feels—but I also have to acknowledge that I’ve never really felt very strongly or giddy about him.
I’m trying to get advice from people, but the problem is that my family is obviously going to advise me against him because they would rather I marry someone from my own culture, preferably someone rich. At the same time, he obviously can’t give me unbiased advice about whether I should marry him lol.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Can a marriage be happy when someone feels like your best friend and treats you extremely well, but you’ve never felt butterflies or deeply head-over-heels in love?
Posted Aug 12, 2026, 8:12 PM UTC