I think it is wonderful that you can express so clearly what you feel. I was older than you are now, when I found my first really serious relationship, which I am still in. And you know what part of the attraction was? This man liked to cook for me. If I said that my feet were cold, he would get out warm socks and even liked to put them on for me.

I think I had been waiting for a nurturing type of man, which was not characteristic of men previously in my life. It so happened that he came with a bunch of bad baggage, but, because he had that "nurturing" quality, I overlooked all the negative. That's how strong the need to feel taken care of in a "mommy" kind of way can be.

I don't think you're a freak, at all. It's very hard to find just what we are looking for in a relationship. At least, you know what you need. One of the things that I think held me back for years was that I assumed things about men that weren't necessarily true. Men come in lots of different types. Many men are more nurturing than lots of women. This past Christmas was the first time I even cooked cooked a Holiday dinner. He always did it.

I think we look to make up for some shortfall we had early in life. I grew up with a lack of warmth, and we never had regular mealtimes. Along came a guy who gave good hugs and cooked good meals, and served dinner at 6 PM every night, and I fell head-over-heels. Ya just never know.