It had been so long, you didn’t remember that she was someone you were matched with and messaged almost a year ago.

Her belated response has left you a little stumped.

She apologized for the long delay in her reply and went on with her message as though it hadn’t been almost a year.

You are at a loss for what to do.

Do you follow the same nonchalance and respond to her as though all this time hasn’t passed?

It would feel odd to respond as though you two were matched a short while ago.

Notwithstanding, it’s not like you have had the best luck on the dating app since you two were matched almost a year ago.

There have been some promising exchanges with other matches that led to dates here and there, but you remain single.

With this dearth of success, the idea of messaging her back doesn’t sound as odd as it did initially.

What does that say about you though?

Are you that desperate and with so little regard for your self-worth?

If it took her this long to respond to your message, how far back on her list of priorities were you?

How many guys did she pick over you?

Are you her last desperate gasp for attention or a relationship?

These are questions that are difficult to reconcile, being that you really don’t know what happened.

Maybe it had nothing to do with her putting you on the back burner, choosing instead to talk to guys she prioritized over you.

What if she had every intention of messaging you back but something outside of her control happened?

An emergency in her personal life that forced her away from the dating app.

It’s not like you were privy to what she was doing on the dating app at that time.

As far as you know, she had an emergency that forced her to put online dating on hold for the last year.

With this in mind, strongly consider responding to her belated message.

The truth is, you haven’t had much success with anyone else since you messaged her almost a year ago.

What’s the harm in responding to her message.

The fear that you weren’t a priority and she is merely messaging you now because she has run out of prospects is pure speculation.

For a moment, let’s say you are right.

What does it matter?

Think about your dating history.

How many women did you end up having long-term relationships with that weren’t at the top of your list of potential romantic prospects?

As human beings we are attracted to what we see on the surface and use that to extrapolate that a relationship with the person on top of our list is bound to succeed.

Until we date that person and realize that there are compatibility issues.

Even if she has been on dates with several guys she prioritized over you, you don’t know what life lessons she has had from those experiences which has led her to believe that they weren’t right for her.

I will let you in on a little secret.

Most people don’t end up marrying the person who was atop their list.

There is a history of failed relationships before they finally figure it out.

Message her back.

Don’t shame her for her belated response.

Put your pride aside and see where this goes.

Who knows, in a year, you two could be lovebirds.