A Question...

I was talking to a girl before one of my classes started and she asked why I had a band-aid on my toe. I laughed and told her about my toe accident and that because I wanted to wear sandals today I didn't want my half dead nail to be staring at people. We laughed about it and then she asked how long I had been married. I told her it would be 5 years in June (where has the time gone btw!). Of course that was proceeded with how old I was (25) and then a "wow! you got married young".

I guess I did. Everyone says that so I suppose it's true lol. But then I tell them that we knew each other for 8years before we started dating and that leads into me telling a short "our story" tale. I add that while I was young I was ready. Haha...very ready! I wasn't scared or nervous about enmeshing my life with this man. I was excited.

Then she looked at me and asked "Do you believe in true love?". I was kinda surprised by this question. Not in a "oh my gosh why would she ask that" type of way. I was surprised because in the time I've been married I've never been asked that question. I'm not even sure that before I got married anyone asked me that question.

I scanned her face to see if she was mocking me or something, but instead I was met with a curious and longing face. "Yes. Yes, I do.", I answered softly.  She went on to tell me that she found it hard to because she had been burned so many times and now she was in another relationship and didn't know where it would lead.  She asked how we made it work and I answered honestly. We make it work because we work at it. We don't have a perfect relationship. While we always love each other there are times when we don't like each other. But we have learned to communicate. We've learned to listen to not only what is being said, but what is not being said. We have had arguments, we have misunderstood each other. We have cried with each other. We have held the other and walked through the different "rooms" of our stories. We laugh a lot. We get each others quirkiness and uniqueness. We constantly are learning each other. We are best friends. We are lovers.

We didn't just get married and everything was perfect. Not at all. We had to learn all of this. We are still learning. Mistakes have been essential to experience. And almost five years later this man makes my heart jump and flutter with a deep passionate love. Yes, I do believe in true love.

It makes me sad when I'm met with question I can't answer about being single and finding "the one". I don't know what it's like for them. I know what it's like to be single until 20. I don't know what it's like to be single past that. I don't know what it's like to be in your 20's or older and not having your person. I can offer advice. Encouragement. I've learned a lot about a guy's mind from my husband and the guy friends I have. I can offer that, but my help can only go so far. And then I feel helpless. I wish I could offer more.

I believe in true love. I guess that's why I love Disney so much. True love exists. Someday your prince will come. No matter how your heart is grieving if you keep on believing the dream that you wish will come true.  It may not involve poisonous apples, lost glass slippers, enchanted castles, spindles, frogs, evil queens, life under the sea, or flying carpets. But who knows, maybe you're story will have some of that.

I do know what it feels like to think that you won't find your one. I know how much it hurts. How deep the ache runs. I know how lonely it is. I know that it's easier to settle for something less to fill the aching hole. It's easier to convince your self that it's worth it because if not then you'll be lonely and pathetic... even though you still feel all the more lonely and pathetic.

But I know the beauty of realizing there is someone who wants to put the glass slipper on your foot. The one who will fight through thorns and dragons. The one who will offer you true love's kiss. The one who wants to travel through the stars with you. The one who will offer your heart so much more than you could ever imagine.

And if I could go back in time, I would tell myself... "It's okay to cry kid. I know you feel like you won't get your prince. But I promise you, he is coming. And he'll sweep you off your feet when you least expect it. "

Yes, I believe in true love. Yes, I do.