How long would you wait?

This weekend, the NBA Miami Heat star Lebron James finally wedded his long-time girlfriend Savannah Brinson in San Diego, USA. These two have been dating since they were in secondary school and are currently in their late twenties. They have two sons. So the question is how long would you wait? Lebron once said at an awards show that he is blessed to have a woman who stuck by him and has been a solid foundation for him and their sons. In the past, when marriage sounded like prison to me, I would always tell my friends that I would probably date for a long time, have a long engagement and then maybe some sort of commitment ceremony but not necessarily a wedding. However, this has changed. I do not know the details of the abovementioned couple’s relationship. And I am definitely not saying marriage is for everyone, but I am going to assume that after being with a man for most of your young adult life and having two of his children, the least he can do is show some sort of commitment. If I had had a man’s baby and had been with him for almost 10 years, I do not think I would have been this patient. Apparently men take a bit longer to mature but I’m sorry, if we are mature enough to raise two children and have booming careers, I’m sure we will know where the relationship is going. My issue is that these women, especially the partners of professional athletes, allow this to happen for years. Meanwhile deep down they want additional commitment to assure them that the relationship is solid. So maybe marriage is not for everyone but my issue is that women are having children with these men; not one child but two or three! They can only hope that it will grow into a traditional family. This could end up good, like in the case of Lebron and Savannah, but a lot of times, women have been kicked to the curb with nothing to their name because they spent all their time at home taking care of the children and not pursuing their own careers. This lifestyle is on the increase with the average Rwandan couple and I have witnessed the consequences. So my warning to women is to not put their lives on hold without a solid commitment to protect them and their children. What do you 21st century women think? Should women really put themselves first?