Awareness Leader Paul Sawka Talks about Relationships & Dating.
Valentine’s Day is coming up and I really love and miss many people in my life like my old roommates, my old co-workers, my girlfriend, my family and friends and all the different groups and clubs I have been a part of.
Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate all the loving relationships we have in our life and to really show our loved ones the love we have in our hearts for them. It is also a very special day where people who are in love do nice things for each other to show how much they care.
There are many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, like remembering an old roommate and giving them a call, or being with family and friends, or just being with a partner. It is really about sharing our loving hearts with the ones who mean the most to us.
Every relationship is being affected by Covid-19 right now and it is so important to find ways to continue our relationships even when we are extremely far apart. What I would really like to do with my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day is a hot air balloon ride. But due to Covid-19 I am not sure when we will be able to do this. Still, she and I will continue dating and we will have to celebrate Valentine’s Day differently this year with a video call on Facetime instead.
If there are people out there who are lonely without their partners and their loved ones right now, it is okay to be sad. I know what it feels like because I am sad as well, but I am very sure that things will be better soon.
Paul Answers More Questions About Relationships Here:
Of course this is different for everyone, but at what age did you have your first romantic relationship?
Paul: I was 19 years old when I met my first girlfriend.
Why do you like having a girlfriend Paul?
Paul: I like having a girlfriend because I have always wanted to fall in love with a very nice girl and to get married and spend the rest of our lives together. I value the love and care in my current relationship.
What do you think your girlfriend likes about you?
Paul: I am an outgoing and nice young man. I am also a very good dancer with many talents. I think my girlfriend likes these things about me. Her and I also share many common interests like movies and sports and hanging out with friends.
What things do you like most about your girlfriend?
Paul: I like my girlfriend a lot. She is loving, caring and kind. She is also a volunteer at the local zoo. She really likes to be romantic and have nice dinner dates together and we do talk on the phone a lot.
Are the qualities you look for in friends different from the qualities you look for in someone you have dated?
Paul: I look for friends who have common interests with me. I want friends who like to do fun things together like hanging out, going to the movies, watching sports or having any kind of party. The qualities that I look for in my friends are the same as in a partner.
What advice do you have for adults with Down syndrome who want to meet someone to start dating?
Paul: I met my first girlfriend through our families. They met first and then introduced us to one another.
I met my current girlfriend at the end of 2019 at an ugly Christmas sweater dance party. I asked her for her name and her number so that we could reconnect again and we did sometime later at a coffee shop.
My advice to any adults with Down syndrome who want to meet someone is to attend social events within the Down syndrome community. If you meet some you like, dating is a way you can really get to know that person very well. If you find you both really like each other, you can really sit down and talk about having a loving and caring relationship together and maybe even being together for the rest of your lives.
I really hope you all have a very happy Valentine’s Day everyone – and please don’t forget to share your loving hearts with the ones you love!
