The “L” Word
Whether you’ve fallen in love before, dreamt about it or currently enjoying it as you are reading this, you can imagine love is a beautiful thing. Thanks to Disney Princess’, we’ve been accustomed to the belief and plan that we women are put on this earth to find our “prince charming.” Or better yet, have him find us.
Whether you’re an independent woman, have this one guy friend, or are a hopeless romantic there’s good news for all of us- we don’t need a guy but it is nice to have someone who shares the same interest as we do.
Having been in a relationship for four years in high school (on and off may I add) I grew to learn that my relationship was nowhere near as close to perfect as Cinderella’s was.
My Story
My freshman year of high school, I began dating this guy (we’ll call him Eric) and it felt just as I thought “love” should feel. There was the antsy-ness that I experienced waiting for his call every night. Then, there were the sweaty palms I got whenever he reached over to hold my hand (I tend to perspire when I’m nervous! Ha-ha!) Eric and I had lots in common; we loved to ski, had the same taste in music and both played lacrosse. It all felt right, and long-term.
After a year or so of dating, after some normal fights here and there, something terrible happened that made me realize how far I’d go to have Eric remain in my life no matter what we faced. Half-way into our sophomore year, we had a falling out that involved one of my close friends (or so I thought.) My friend (we’ll call her Betty) was a friendly girl whom I played lacrosse with at school. She and Eric were friends through me, and as you can guess, it didn’t’ end pleasantly. They had their rendezvous that I found out about, through the grape-vines, which is a horrible way to find out about anything. That summer was difficult because I talked myself into separating myself from Eric and Betty because of their hurtful actions of going behind my back and being together. Being stabbed in the back by people is the worst feeling especially when they are people you love and confide in.
Following the separation, I eventually worked things out with Eric because I “loved” him and realized Betty wasn’t a true friend. Our relationship lasted a few more years until my senior year.
Finding My Prince Charming
Rewinding to some point during my junior year, I met somebody who would impact me for years to come. His name was Dom. We met in journalism and he was the only guy in the class. I remember the first day I met him, and the exact first words we exchanged.
“I like your shirt, and your shoes aren’t too shabby either,” I said flirtatiously (mind you I was still dating Eric at the time). Dom was shy, but we became close friends from there on out. We spent a lot of time together and frequently went on small “dates” to Starbucks.
Our friendship grew over the months, so much that it even caused suspicion, especially with Eric. Low and behold, our relationship did not last past the first few months of college, but I now know that it was not meant to be. I learned that sometimes people come into our lives for a reason and sometimes what we want is not always the best for us.
While I was trying my hardest to make my relationship with Eric work, I was convincing myself that it was okay for him to have hurt me the way he did. That is not love, mistake or not.
As I am writing this, I remember how much Eric and I fought, and how much I tried to keep the relationship afloat, even when I knew it was bond to sink. I am happy to admit that Dom came into my life for a reason. He stuck by me when things were bad between Eric and I, and was a good friend. Dom is still one of my closest of friends, but what’s even better is, now he is my boyfriend. Yesterday, we celebrated four happy months of being together.
Ladies, if you haven’t found him yet, your prince charming is out there, and believe me, he is probably looking harder for you than you realize. Find your happy ending; we all have one!
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