Lately, my yf has been embracing technology more and I find myself interacting with him through instant messengers and cell phone texting more often. I suppose it's a good thing, but it creates a lot of situations where I'm at a loss as to what to do. I am always under the assumption that any messages are being or will be read by his parents and recorded for perpetuity. Thus, one needs to be very careful with what is said via such mediums. How does one respond to a *hug* emoticon? or to sappy "I miss you" or "I love you" type text messages? I hate not responding at all because I can't help but wonder if it makes him feel like I don't share the sentiment. But on the other hand, leaving behind a trail of sappy text messages is probably not good for our relationship should his mom read through them and decide it's not appropriate for a man to feel that way about a boy he is not related to. So, I walk the tightrope between saying too much and not enough. I hate that it needs to be so complicated.