Love is a tricky thing. Most people spend their whole lives looking for their perfect match, the one who fully completes them. We can get caught up in someone’s love or lust that they bring to our lives. Sometimes, we can even drop everything and run to please them.
I found the love of my life when I was 12 years old, and he was anything but perfect. We aren’t the same in a lot of ways, but we aren’t different, either. Growing up in the same hometown gave us a unique perspective on life and how it should be lived. Although we had different worlds, somehow we always wanted them to be in sync.
All I wanted since the day I met this one stupid boy was for him to notice me. When we were in school together, we called one another every mean name in the book. We’d trip each other in the hallways and pull pranks on one another to get the other’s attention. This started in the seventh grade, and, of course, as time went on, we dated other people and became better friends.
Now, our groups of friends were entirely different, and whenever we would get together, one group would always come up with a rumor to help break us up. Either one of us “cheated” on the other, they’d say, or we just “didn’t like the other person anymore.” We were manipulated by our peers for their own fun and benefit. The good part about all of this is I have no idea where those idiots are today, and I still have the guy who has made me feel special since Day 1 by my side.
The one thing this guy and I always had was our friendship. We could – and still can – talk about anything and everything that is on our minds. This man is my best friend. He knows everything about me and he still looks to me like I am the most beautiful person he has ever seen. It took us eight years to figure out that we were meant to love one another the way we do today, and to be quite honest, I do not know how I got so lucky to find someone who cannot get sick of me. This experience of being in love just allows me imagine and dream about almost anything. I believe in miracles, I hope for better days, I wish for a more peaceful future.
We all need some kind of love in our lives. It brings attention well-needed and compassion well-deserved. Every day I hope there is more love spread because I know the peace it brings to the heart and mind. No doubt relationships take hard work, time, money and energy. In the end, when you look back at your life it will be worth it. On your deathbed, you won’t be thinking about how much money you have, how big your house is, how many cars you have or the liquor in your cabinets. You’ll think of the memories you made in your life, how you impacted others’ lives, what kind of a life you made for yourself and how you decided to treat the loved ones around you.
Aubrey Adler is a sophomore at Fort Lewis College studying business. A Littleton native, she loves dogs, the outdoors, snowboarding, music, singing, dancing and interacting with new people.
