Living and Loving

Falling in love is so much sweeter when you're a kid.

 

See, kids in love

Know how to express themselves.

They pick flowers,

Write innocent letters,

And make origami swans

To offer each other.

They know how to show respect.

They hold hands

And give shy hugs

That aren't too personal

But just enough to say

"You're more than just my friend."

They know commitment.

They never tire of blushing

From a single look across the room

And they always choose

The same person to sit next to.

 

See, falling in love is hard when you're older.

There's the real world to think about:

Do you really picture a future with this person?

Do you love them enough to marry them?

To live with them?

Have a family with them?

Would you sacrifice what you have now

For the possibilities loving them has to offer?

But when you take a chance and believe, 

When you take a leap and commit,

It will always be worth it

Because the universal, lifelong search for the One

Will have been completed.

 

See, I was a high school Senior 

When I first fell in love.

I was too old to enjoy the innocence of young love

Yet too young to know the hardships of true love.

 

See, I tried to fool myself

That gifts made from the heart

Rather than bought from the store

Were enough to express mutual interest.

So when they came less often,

I tried to fool myself that love

Was more than just gifts;

After all, they can't compare to actions.

So when I felt him grow more distant

I tried to fool myself that he

Was only preparing for the hardships of college;

It's only right that I respect that.

But when he left altogether,

Without a single goodbye or explanation,

I knew then that I had been a fool all along.

I was naive to think 

We were young enough to have a cute love

And yet old enough to have a true love.

Because you can't have the best of both worlds. 

 

See, that's when I realized I wasn't a kid anymore.

I couldn't have the Happily Ever After

I grew up reading about.

I couldn't have the cute gifts and notes

That young love was made of

Because it wouldn't be enough.

That's when I realized

That puppy love isn't strong enough.

That's when I realized

There's more to it than fairy tale souvenirs.

 

But see, I learned something from that realization.

I learned that when love is true,

It's not just gifts and words

But actions and sacrifices.

I learned that when love is true,

It overcomes any obstacle.

I learned that when love is true,

It's worth the pain.

 

See, I may have gone through heartache

But I learned what it really means to love.

 

This poem is about: 
Me

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