When I was little, I dreamed of a handsome prince with big blue eyes, strong arms and a huge heart. I watched all the Disney movies and had my ideals set. I prayed that someday I would find a man just like the one I dreamed of. I never thought that he would be from my hometown.
We met the summer before our freshman year of high school, which is notoriously part of the “awkward stage” of growing up. We were preteens dealing with puberty, acne, and the big transition into high school. We were much too young to know anything about love. The freshman and sophomore classes totaled almost 1200 kids; an equation for being just a small fish in a big sea. Somehow, out of all of those people, I met him that summer. I may never understand how, but I will forever be grateful.
All of a sudden every love song had a purpose, every love story had a meaning, and every day was a little brighter.
We only had one class together freshman year, and since we were too young to have a driver’s license, that was our only time together. Biology with a crazy teacher wasn’t my idea of a romantic high school relationship. Our teacher gave a whole lesson about cow farts, less than affectionately referred to us as “the lovebirds,” and forced me to sit by myself on the complete opposite side of the room. She banned us from working together on projects or labs. Somehow, all that brought us closer.
I struggled with math in high school. There were lots of tears over long homework assignments and failed exams. Luckily, he was always an ace at math. He would patiently talk me through problems for hours and get there early to help me calm down before tests. On the other hand, he struggled with English, particularly writing. He would email me his papers and I would spend hours proofreading them and talking him through parts until I knew he would get a good grade. They say opposites attract, and that proved true for us.
Throughout high school, I had a lot of trouble with my self-image and anxiety. No matter how I was feeling, he would proudly hold my hand and tell me I was beautiful. He was always there to calm me down and cheer me up.
He was always great at sports, so when he made the volleyball team, I was so excited for him. I sat through many games, yelled at refs, told his teammates to step it up, and cheered things like “I love you, Number Two!” Seeing as I was never very good at sports but really enjoyed music, I spent a lot of time preparing for concerts. He came to almost all of my concerts, and continues to do so even now. There was one concert in particular that will always be special to me. I had gotten a solo in choir that I so badly wanted. Unfortunately, he was not able to make it to the concert. Or so he told me. As we filed out onto the stage in our choir robes, I looked out to see him sitting front row with a huge bouquet of my favorite flowers.
Many people doubt high school relationships because we are still growing into ourselves and figuring things out. As we transition into college, very few couples make it because of all the changes to their lives and themselves. We changed, but we changed together. I was afraid going to different colleges would be hard, but when you love someone so much, it is worth it to make things work. We were just lucky enough to meet young, and spend almost our entire lives together.
Without him, I am not sure if I would have survived high school. Kids are mean, girls are petty, classes are hard, preparing for college is terrifying, and I was definitely my own worst enemy. He was my tutor, my date to every dance, my rock, my best friend, my own personal cheerleader ... I have never met someone so patient, caring, or loyal. Not to mention his strong arms and big blue eyes.
He was always and is always there: through every up and down of high school, through every fight, through every heartbreak, through every bad day, through every let down or disappointment, through every audition, through every scare … No matter what my ideals were as a little girl, I know he has surpassed them. To all the people who said we didn’t know anything about love: you were right, but I can promise that now I know everything about love thanks to him. To the amazing boy who taught me how to love, how to get out of my own way, how to be patient, how to get over it, and how to be the best me, thank you. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.
