Dawn -- As tempting as it may be to fall in love quickly, please slow down. In the love department, nothing is as dangerous as getting involved too quickly in a relationship. Sustainable relationships take time to cultivate.

He mentions that he is busy with his three kids, which is understandable. But think about it, Dawn. When were you too busy to make time for someone who you really wanted to make time for? With cell phones, emails, instant messages and the ability to text anyone, anywhere, men who say they are going to call but don't are really making it clear that they are not interested.

Any man who is constantly standing you up is simply not worth your time. Frankly, I don't know what about this man has made you fall in love so quickly. Perhaps you feel as though it would be a major ego booster if you were finally able to lasso this guy in. Or maybe your self-esteem (or lack of) enables you to tolerate waiting around for a man who doesn't follow through on his promises.

At the beginning of any relationship, it is important to put your best foot forward. If he doesn't show or give a reason for his MIA behavior, you can just imagine how much his behavior will go downhill if you continue to tolerate this treatment.

Luckily for you, you did not invest too much of your precious time (or your heart) in this relationship. It's not too late to cut this guy loose -- the sooner, the better. Then, take your time and find the right guy, one who appreciates your time and is worthy of your attention.

Dawn -- It sounds like you are in different stages of relationship seeking. He may like you and want to be with you, but he's not ready to commit in the same way you want to commit. It may be that he needs to take the relationship slower, or maybe he needs time to integrate a dating relationship into his life with three kids.

When he says he's going to do something and he doesn't follow through, it is important that you tell him you are hurt (or angered) by this behavior and that honesty and dependability are important to you. If he can't make it, all he has to do is call you. That's just common courtesy.

Ultimately, you are the one who has to decide what acceptable or unacceptable behavior is. You need to know what you want and expect from someone you are dating. If a line is crossed or you feel disrespected in some way, you need to say something. Relationships tend to start and then continue along the same path until someone draws a line in the sand. Too often we're afraid of rejection, so we hold back, thinking that if we say something about a behavior we don't like, the person is going to leave.

A relationship that starts out wrong won't improve over time. Better to be honest about what you need from a relationship in the beginning stage. Then, if the person is on a completely different page, you won't waste your time (or your heart) wishing and hoping for something that isn't going to happen.

Dawn -- First I want to congratulate you on your tenacity and capacity for forgiveness -- two incredibly powerful traits that you have obviously worked hard to develop. However, I invite you to recognize that there is a time and a place to use these skills within relationships. Your immediate forgiveness of this man's impolite behavior is admirable, but somewhat misplaced.

Just imagine for a moment that you are recruiting this man for a job, a very important job -- as a potential companion or life partner. No matter how great a candidate he might seem, if during the interview process he failed to call, either to cancel or to explain why he wasn't coming, or worse, didn't call to apologize for not calling or turning up -- well, quite simply, you would reject him for the job! Why? Because he is someone who clearly has no respect for other people.

Is this really all you want for yourself? Don't you deserve a thousand percent more? Spend a little time working out what you actually want, and how you want to be treated. If a man doesn't meet your job description, then he is not for you. Just keep those forgiveness skills in the bag. There will be a day when the man-for-the-job makes an occasional but very human boo-boo and they will genuinely be needed!

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