Hey boys, it's me again. Maybe it's bad that I remember this, but I do...today is the 10 year anniversary of me having my first boyfriend (sorry babe). I dated a little bit before that, but had never called anyone "boyfriend" until then. So commenced my adventures in dating and trying to discover what I did and didn't want in a future husband. There were a lot of good things and bad things that came from my first real relationship. I gained a self-confidence that I surely didn't have before then (perhaps it came from dating someone a reasonable amount younger than myself). I learned what it felt like to love and be loved. I got to experience being treated like a lady (never allowed to touch a car door to get in OR out). I learned what it was like to have someone's parents not like you (mainly because they didn't feel like their son was good enough for me...kind of backwards, but I won them over in time). I learned how hard long-distance dating can be. I learned what hearing rumors about your boyfriend flirting with other girls while you are 800 miles away feels like. I learned how heartbreak feels and the sting of being dumped (under the guise of "not wanting to date anymore while preparing for a mission"). How it feels to then hear your ex started dating the very person you always wondered if they had feelings for just a few weeks after you break up (for almost a year at that). I cried for a week straight, day and night. I wish I were kidding, but I'm not.
What to know?
Maybe that despite your parents not being fond of them, and despite your friends coming out of the woodwork once you are taken asking you to date them instead and professing their love for you, you will learn important life lessons. Don't expect your first love to be your last love (although sometimes it can work that way). Don't worry that you aren't good enough if someone is able to stop loving you. Sometimes you might be the one doing the heart breaking...do it gently and do it honestly. Relationships can end in the worst emotional pain of your life, but the experiences are worth the risk. Eventually The Lord will put the right person in your path at the right time, and you will be lucky enough to spend eternity with them.
A Quick Date Night Touch Up!
6 years ago