Like most girls, I love the idea of love. I love the idea of happily ever afters, everyone having their very own "Prince Charming," and all the other girly fairytale myths about love that you see in chick flicks and the vast majority of media. While I still love these ideas, and I do believe that every girl has their own "Prince Charming", the way love is portrayed on t.v. shows, in movies, and on the internet is completely false. And as I've gotten older, I've realized how naive I was to believe that's what love is actually like. Love is not always happy. Love is not this perfect thing that causes everything else in your life to finally fall into place. Love is scary. Love is hard. But love is a beautiful disaster.

Anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship, or has had their heart broken, know those statements to be true. I'm the kind of person who tends to get my hopes up too high and falls head over heels too fast in a relationship. I give my heart away before the guy has proved to me that I can trust him to be good with my heart, which winds up being a recipe for disaster and leaves me crushed when the relationship comes to an end. I have been in one serious relationship, and after almost two years together, we eventually parted ways because the relationship was extremely unhealthy. Although the break up was hard, and there were days I felt like I'd never move on or get past it, I realize now that getting my heart broken was the greatest blessing in disguise.

This relationship changed my life in ways I never could have possibly imagined, and it showed me what I do and don't want in future relationships. I learned a lot about love and myself during those two years, and for that, I am forever grateful. I walked away from the relationship stronger, happier, and more confident than I have ever been in my life. I walked away from the relationship knowing that he was not the guy for me and that our relationship was not meant to last forever. I walked away from the relationship knowing that God placed him in my life temporarily for a reason, and that is because He has something far better in store for me.

Finding someone you can sincerely trust with your heart, shares your morals, and accepts and loves you for exactly who you are, is difficult. And dating, especially in this generation, SUCKS. Romance is dead. One girl never seems to be enough for most guys. And sex has become something casual to the majority of young adults. IT MAKES NO SENSE! But the good news is that even though life may not make sense right now, eventually you'll realize why things didn't work out the way you planned and you'll be so thankful. There will be other relationships with new people that will change your life just as drastically. Stop looking for love, and let it find you when the time is right. Be selfish; focus on yourself, school, your job, and goals that you want to accomplish while you're still young. And find comfort in the fact that this is all part of God's plan for you!

Eventually we'll all find our "Prince Charming" ;)