getting old :-(

Not all men are like that, but it does seem to be how he is if it has been 4 years and this problem STILL is not resolved.

I think a lot of women make excuses for men by saying, "Well they just can't think like that..." Well, even when I was only 15 my first boyfriend didn't get me anything for Valentine's Day. ALL of our mutual male friends (without me saying a word or acting depressed) yelled at him for it to the point that he left to get me a gift. And our friends were almost all "bad boys" so I mean really.

My second boyfriend had hardly any experience with girls and still figured this stuff out on his own.

My last boyfriend had been through too many (failed) relationships to keep track of, and the reason was...he sucked. I gave him 6 months, and the last week I saw him he was still mean and selfish. Now I'm just a part of his very-long list of failed-relationships.

Why? Because I (and apparently all of the other women) knew that there are a lot nicer and more thoughtful men out there.

You're still young, but it seems that if you stay in a relationship that still has the same complaints (that could EASILY be fixed) from when the relationship just began 4 years ago, eventually you WILL be old and either learned to accept that he will never be what you want...or...still feel unappreciated AND actually getting old.

Good luck and keep in mind that 4 years might seem like a lot of time, but instead of thinking, "Well it HAS been 4 years, that's a long time I invested to go to waste," think, "4 years and he STILL didn't care enough about me to at least try and reciprocate or make me feel I wasn't the only one giving."

PS: I've come to notice that men who "weren't able" to remember their partner's birthdays etc WILL suddenly "become able" when they meet a woman who takes their breath away. Let's be honest, if most men had Megan Fox or Adriana Lima (or which ever super-gorgeous girl the man likes most) become their girlfriends, do you REALLY think they would forget HER birthday? I think not, and if they did, you'd be sure they would remember after 4 years together if he still felt the same way about her.

I think there are a lot of people who stay in relationships with people just because they feel comfortable and enjoy being in relationships -- not because they are truly crazy about the other person or even in love. The men in my life (friends, family, boyfriends) who have made me feel appreciated and not like, "I hope he remembers we are supposed to meet today" have ALWAYS been those who I knew actually cared about me. My first boyfriend ended up secretly being in love with his ex. My last boyfriend ended up being a narcissist. As far as relationships go, only one guy I was with truly loved me. The other two did NOT love me. While some men really can love a woman and not do little things such as cleaning the dishes or remembering holidays, I personally think that most ARE able to. It is simply that, for most of us non-models, we are not as desirable to most men (no matter how nice our personalities are) as the really pretty girls. Therefore, it is more difficult to find a man who truly loves us and will treat us like he would if he were dating "the physically ideal girl of his dreams."