John David Duggar and his fiancee Abbie Burnett are doing things a little bit differently when it comes to their relationship.
So much so, in fact, that some observers have wondered if the Duggar family’s famed courtship rules even apply to him.
Just one month after announced to the world that they’re courting, the couple had another exciting announcement to make:
They’re engaged! To be married! Already!
“Wow! We are engaged! This feels even more real than it did before! It was a special moment to share together,” Duggar and Burnett said.
Not that the Duggars are known for dragging their feet when it comes to romantic relationships, but this one took place at light speed.
And raised more than a few questions.
“The proposal and the ‘YES’ really solidified that we want to spend the rest of our lives together,” John David, 28, added.
“One of the most amazing things about following Christ is being able to trust Him to direct your path and lead your life.”
With all due respect to Him, the one calling the shots here seems to be John David – to a degree rarely seen in his family.
THG’s sources on the ground at the compound tell us that John isn’t a fan of Jim Bob, and he’s showing his indepedence.
An eyewitness claims to have seen the couple on an unchaperoned date, upon which Abbie Burnett was wearing shorts.
Shorts! Two courtship rules shattered in one day!
The Duggar fan Facebook page, Duggar Family News: Life Is Not All Pickles and Hairspray, was the first to break that exclusive.
One of the Picks n’ ‘Spray admins posted:
“I just heard that John and Abbie were spotted today unchaperoned at the Tontitown Grape Festival… and Abbie was wearing shorts!”
Alas, there is no photo evidence to back this claim – “I put you who want to play sleuth in charge of finding a photo,” the post read.
Still, that particular page is not in the business of lying, and it basically confirms what we already know anyway at this point:
John David just does not care.
Think about it. He’s rarely, if ever, seen on TLC’s Counting On, the family’s reality series which basically pays everyone’s bills.
Unlike his siblings who feel comfortable living that Duggar life, he’s content doing his own thing, personally and professionally.
It was John David who decided to court Abbie in secret, we’re told, out of the spotlight, so that he could live his life as he saw fit.
Now, reportedly, the rest of the young adult Duggars want time off or to quit TV altogether, inspired by their brother’s example.
A gender dynamic can’t be overlooked. John David can clearly get away with things his sisters can’t, including his twin Jana.
Whereas Jim Bob effectively denies the Duggar girls’ careers and lives at his discretion, his son can (within reason) assert himself.
That’s a topic for another time, but as far as John is concerned, it sounds like the family “rules” for dating simply don’t apply to him.
A month-long courtship before proposing is bonkers even in Duggar terms. There’s no way they didn’t court in secret for some time.
Moreover, you can bet there are as many unchaperoned dates as he sees fit, because all his chaperones are filming Counting On.
Think about it.
