When it's over...

[astroAPhi]

I think a lot of it depends on who gives who the article of jewelry.

For instance, my boyfriend's chapter made me Sweetheart my junior year. They don't buy the girls sweetheart badges because it would be just too darn expensive to do that every year. But if they had given me a badge or a lavalier for being sweetheart, I wouldn't give that back if we broke up, because the fraternity as a whole gave that to me.

My boyfriend lavaliered me on my last week of school my senior year (he is the same age but is still in school). He asked his brothers ahead of time if they were comfortable with it, even if we had been dating for over 3 years. I was quite honored when they told him that if any girl deserved a TKE lavalier, it was me. He had planned on pinning me at the same time, but couldn't because of the combined cost of the two. If we break up in the future, I'd give both back to him (if he ever gets around to pinning me), because he gave them to me, even if he did have their blessing. Even though I was sweetheart I wouldn't keep HIS sweetheart badge.

I love my boyfriend and his fraternity is very close to my heart. I take great care in portraying his letters as well as I would my own. I was honored and thrilled when he lavaliered me. Since some people think it's messed up to want to be lavaliered before graduation, I don't think it's all that weird as long as it's a fraternity you're close to. I wouldn't accept a lavalier from any ol' random fraternity guy after a few months of dating. But since it was TKE and I have a long history with their chapter, I did WANT it in a way. It was something I hoped would happen and looked forward to, but I wouldn't have felt my college or Greek experience wasn't something with out it.