1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Time now for today's Strawberry Letter. And if you need 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: advice on relationships, on dating, work, sex, parenting, and more, 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: please submit your Strawberry Letter to STEVEHARVEYFM dot com and 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: click submit Strawberry Letter. We could be reading your letter live, 5 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: just like we're going to read this one right here. 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 1: Who knows it could be your letter? You just never know. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: All right, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the Strawberry 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 2: Letter with my good friend, Shirley Strawberry. 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, my good friend Junior. Subject three years later 10 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: and we're only friends. Dear Stephen, Shirley, I'm thirty four 11 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: years old and my significant other is thirty nine and 12 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: we've been together for three years. I call him my 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: significant other because he has yet to define our relationship. 14 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: We started as friends, just like most couples do, and 15 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: we got closer. He told me that he didn't want 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: anything serious, but he enjoyed spending time with me. We 17 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,639 Speaker 1: started having sex a month after we met, and at 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: that time I was very busy at work and helping 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: my sister with her new baby, so I was not 20 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: ready for anything serious either. Then my guy tore his 21 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: acl and he needed something someone to help him out, 22 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: so he came to stay with me for a week. 23 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: I was crazy about him, so taking care of him 24 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: came naturally. Whenever we're together and his phone rang, he'd 25 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: tell the caller he was with me, and he'd called 26 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: them back. This made me confident about the direction our 27 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: relationship was going in, so I never asked him if 28 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: we were boyfriend slash girlfriend. After two years, we were 29 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 1: stuck together like glue. If you saw him, you saw me. 30 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: That all changed last week when we double dated with 31 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: one of my girlfriends and her fiance. They got engaged 32 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: recently and they are so in love you can feel it. 33 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: My friend asked my guy if he'd been thinking about marriage, 34 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: and my guys spoke up and embarrassed me so bad. 35 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: He said, we're not that serious yet. We're best friends 36 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: and we love each other, but we are not exclusive. 37 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,119 Speaker 1: He told my friend that I'm aware of our status 38 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: and I'm not pressuring him for a title. I sat there, 39 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: looking stupid and holding back tears. He said he does 40 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: plan to get married one day, when the time is right. 41 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: What I heard is that I'm not the one. Is 42 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: he wasting my time or is he dating others to 43 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: get it out of his system before he proposes. I'm 44 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: so confused. Okay, come on now, I really do not 45 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: want you to be confused right now. I don't want that. 46 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 3: I need you to be good and woke. 47 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: Okay, because this man just told your good friends and 48 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: you what he really thinks of you in no uncertain terms, 49 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: and you heard him tell them, so please be clear. 50 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: He said you're not exclus elusive. You are not exclusive, 51 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: which means yes, he's seeing other people, okay, and that 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: marriage will happen one day when the time is right. Well, 53 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: if it's marriage you want with him, you can no 54 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: longer sit back and allow him and him only to 55 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: define this relationship. You have a say in this too. 56 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: You're in it. Your feelings matter, and if you've changed 57 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: and you want more, you have to let him know. 58 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: It's been three years, and after three years you should 59 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: feel extremely comfortable in expressing yourself to him, and with 60 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: a lot of confidence. I might add, remember he had 61 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: no shame, no trepidation when he spoke his mind to 62 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: your friends, and you should do the same. You should 63 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: do the same, otherwise you could be spending another three 64 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: years in this holding pattern of a relationship, not nowhere 65 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: it's going, and I know you don't want that. Steve, 66 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: Speak up, girl. 67 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 2: Steve, Well, this letter, you've explained your situation thoroughly. So 68 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: what you want our advice for? I don't understand. Uh, 69 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 2: you're thirty four, he's thirty nine. I call him my 70 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 2: significant other. 71 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 3: He don't call you nothing. 72 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: I call him my significant other. And then you justified 73 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: by saying because he has yet to define our relationship. 74 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 2: Oh no, that's cause you ain't defined. You just what 75 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 2: what you waiting on him to do? Because all throughout 76 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 2: the letter he show you what he gonna do, which 77 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 2: ain't pretty much, ain't about nothing. Well you say we 78 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: started as friends, just like most couples. That's not how 79 00:04:55,680 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 2: it usually works. But okay, as we got closer, he 80 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: told me he didn't want anything serious. 81 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: Okay, you typed this, so obviously you heard it. He 82 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 3: told you he. 83 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: Didn't want nothing serious, but he enjoyed spending time with me. 84 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 2: We started having sex a month after we met. Well 85 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: that's when he really enjoyed us. I'm spending time with 86 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: you because y'all was having sex and I was very 87 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 2: busy at work helping my sister wear her new baby. 88 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 3: So I wasn't really ready for anything seriously. 89 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 2: Well, see you got into the relationship like a lot 90 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 2: of people do, and you was wanting something. But you 91 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 2: was talking about you ain't want nothing either. Well it 92 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 2: don't sound like that in the letter, because I don't 93 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 2: think what you at the table grime for later on 94 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: if you ain't want nothing. See, then my guy tore 95 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: his al and he needed someone to help him out, 96 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 2: so he came to stay with me for a week. 97 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: I was crazy about taking care of him naturally. So 98 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 2: now when he needs you for convenience, here he come. 99 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 2: Now he need a woman. Now, see he need nothing seizus. 100 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 2: But that see that tore in acl. That's a serious injury. 101 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 2: So now let me cozy on up to this girl 102 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 2: that I'm using, and I'm gonna go stay at her 103 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 2: house for a week because it's serious. Now, but minego. 104 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 2: He told you he don't want nothing sious, but that injury. 105 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 2: Don't tighten him up till now he ain't come. All right, 106 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: I'll tell you the rest of him when we come back. 107 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: All right, you heard him. We'll have part two of 108 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: Steve's response coming up at twenty three minutes after the hour. 109 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: Today's subject three years later, we're still friends. We'll get 110 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: back into it right after this. You're listening hard morning show. 111 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: All right, come on, Steve, let's recap today's strawberry letter, 112 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: the subject three years later, we're still friends. 113 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 2: Well, lady, you're dating the man. You were just friends, 114 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 2: you say, like most couples. Then y'all got closer, and 115 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 2: he told you I don't want nothing serious. He told 116 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: you that top of the letter. But you said he 117 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 2: enjoyed spending time with me. Well you know why because 118 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 2: right after that, y'all said, y'all start having the sixth 119 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 2: a month after we met. 120 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 3: Well, no good in here will are you enjoying this time? 121 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 3: But you now now you was okay with that, you say, 122 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 3: because you was busy at working. 123 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 2: You was helping your sister with a new baby. 124 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,239 Speaker 3: So I was not ready for anything serious either. 125 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 2: Ah, boy, that ain't what this letter say because you 126 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 2: wrote and the whole time in the letter you sound 127 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,239 Speaker 2: like you was thinking someone. 128 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 3: Was gonna get serious. 129 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: Right, Well, then you got towards ACL. He needed somebody 130 00:07:58,040 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 2: to help him out, so he came and stay with 131 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 2: me for a week. Because you know why, because at 132 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 2: HCl is a serious injury. So now he of your 133 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: house for a week. You loved it because you're crazy 134 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 2: about him. Thank of him just came naturally, as it 135 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 2: does with a lot of women, because a lot of 136 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 2: women are very nurturing by nature. Women are the best 137 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: nurturers in the world. So you had a chance to 138 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 2: take care of somebody, show him how much you love him, 139 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: how serious you are, why he had that serious injury. 140 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 3: Girl, you're making it. 141 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: Happen and now here going the part that I really 142 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 2: want you to talk about. So taking care of him 143 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 2: came naturally. Whenever we were together and his phone rang, 144 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 2: he tell the caller he was with me, and he 145 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 2: called them back. This made me confident about the direction 146 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 2: of our relationship was going on. Who so you're ignoring 147 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 2: the fact that the phone ranging, you just go damn that. 148 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 2: You Your takeaway with that was he tell everybody I'm 149 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 2: I'm with her. 150 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 3: I'll call you back. That gave you confidence. 151 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 2: Girl, You forgot he told you this wasn't nothing serious, 152 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 2: and based on the conversation, he tell that to everybody. 153 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 2: So now when the girls do call him on the phone, 154 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 2: he didn't already told him they gotta toe on a 155 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 2: cla he's staying with his friend. 156 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 3: I'm with her right now. I'll call you back. 157 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 2: And they cool with that because he done told them 158 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 2: they ain't got nothing serious. But mostly he done told 159 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 2: them you ain't serious. And if you don't think he 160 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 2: told him that, that's why he's so coolly answered his phone, 161 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: because why he got it. He put his phone on vibrator. 162 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 2: If he was trying to hide something, he ain't got to, though, 163 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 2: he can leave it open because you ain't serious. 164 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 3: He told you that, but he told everybody else. 165 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 2: So now that made you confident about the direction your 166 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 2: relationship was going in. So I never asked him if 167 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 2: we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Mistake. After two years, we 168 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: were stuck together like glue. Okay, if you saw him, 169 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 2: you saw me. That all changed last week when we 170 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 2: double dated with one of my girlfriends and her fiance. 171 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 2: They got engaged recently and they are so in love 172 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: and you can feel it. My friend asked my guy 173 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:30,199 Speaker 2: if he been thinking about marriage, and my guy spoke 174 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 2: up and embarrassed me so bad. 175 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 3: He said, he's not that. We're not that serious yet, 176 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 3: see because his acl fixed. 177 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 2: Yeah, he told you two years ago he wasn't looking 178 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 2: for nothing serious. He said, we're best friends and we 179 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 2: love each other, but we're not exclusive. 180 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 3: Now. I don't know why that affected. He been asking 181 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 3: the phone the whole time. 182 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 2: What he told my friend that I'm aware of our 183 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 2: status and I'm not pressuring him for a title. 184 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 3: He told the truth. He told you he didn't want 185 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 3: nothing serious. 186 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 2: He ain't never gave you a title, and you know 187 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 2: you're aware of it because he told you that, And 188 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 2: you ain't pressing him for a title, because you said 189 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 2: back in the letter you ain't never asked him if 190 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: you was boyfriend and girlfriend. You said that, so you 191 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 2: can't get mad at this guy in this letter at all. 192 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 2: I sat there looking stupid and holding back tears. He 193 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 2: said he does planning to get married one day when 194 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 2: the time is right. What I heard is I'm not 195 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 2: the one. Is he wasting my time? Or is he 196 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 2: dating others to get out of his system before he promoted? 197 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 3: Where do you get this stuff from that? You keep 198 00:11:58,920 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 3: reading into this? 199 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 2: You said, is he dating others to get it out 200 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,719 Speaker 2: of his system before he proposes? 201 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 3: He thirty nine? Right? But what he thirty nine? Lady? 202 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 2: What do you mean he trying to get this out 203 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 2: of his system before he proposes. 204 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 3: He never told you wanted to marry you. 205 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 2: He's never mentioned marriage to you. You ain't even his girlfriend, 206 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 2: and he told it to you in front of your friends. 207 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 2: Why you're still there hoping and waiting is beyond me. 208 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: What are you waiting for? 209 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 3: Lady? 210 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: You know the answer to all of this. Stop reading 211 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 2: more into something that ain't there. All you need to 212 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: do is go in and say, look, I want a title. 213 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 2: I want to know what his relationship is, or we're 214 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: gonna have to end it bye, and he's gonna just 215 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: go on over there with your mother. 216 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 3: Girls's called thank you. 217 00:12:59,160 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 2: Steve. 218 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,680 Speaker 1: Comments on Today's Strawberry Letter at Steve Harvey f em 219 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: and Instagram and Facebook. Check out the Strawberry Podcast on demand. 220 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: You're listening to The Harvey Morning Show