Sometimes, people meet at the wrong time in life.

They are so right for each other, but not at that point in their story. I am a firm believer in the right time and the right place. I truly believe that there is this bigger plan that we are unaware of at the time because we're too close to the puzzle. That being said, I also believe in the idea of having faith in the one for you, whether you've already met that person or not. We have certain lessons to learn before we are ready for our soulmate. We have mistakes to make, and so much room to grow before we are worthy of committing to the person that is really meant for us.

When they first started dating, they quickly found that they were so compatible and had an overwhelming amount of chemistry.

Although they had such strong feelings for each other, he wasn't ready at the time. He couldn't explain to her why he wasn't, because he did care for her. He wanted to be with her, but for unknown reasons, he wasn't ready to love or be loved by her. She was devastated. She was hurt, angry, and blamed herself. She questioned her self worth, and why she wasn't good enough. She wondered what she had done wrong to make him not want her. Little did she know, it wasn't about any of that, and he wasn't the only one who wasn't ready for their love. At the time, she thought of it as him rejecting her. However, she would later see that it wasn't one sided. It was all apart of the plan that was silently working all along to bring them back together someday. The answer wasn't "no" when it came to their love, but rather, a "not quite yet" in disguise. He needed to know how it felt to miss her, and she needed to grow stronger own her own through many lessons learned along the way. Among those countless lessons was arguably the most valuable of all: she learned how to be content with being alone. As crucial of a lesson as that was to learn, the one she will always cherish came from looking at him in a room full of people and catching his eye only to realize that although she had gained this newfound sense of improved independence, nothing would ever be as great as it could be with him by her side.

They both needed to experience life without each other to fully appreciate the love they would one day share. They needed to learn certain lessons and go through hard times to press forward into their wonderful future that was meant for them. They needed to complete their independent journeys before they met each other in the middle of the road to finish their journey together, hand in hand. Some roads to this point are longer than others. Some storms are more difficult to endure. No matter how far you drift away from one another, if it's meant to be, no distance will prove to be too far. Against all odds, logic, and beliefs, you will get your second chance. There is nothing more beautiful than two people who have experienced life without each other, and have found their way back into each other's arms with an indescribable sense of appreciation.

People need time. We take each other for granted, we are reckless with each other's hearts and feelings when we are too young to fully comprehend the power we have in matters of the heart. We are also a generation of extremely impatient people. We want what we want, and we want it yesterday. The ironic part of that is, we don't know what we want. We are extremely impulsive and confused about the immensity of the depths of our feelings and ways of our own heart, let alone someone else's. Many argue that once you love, you can't love again. They say it will never be the same. I both agree and disagree with that statement. I prefer to offer this alternative view: you can love again, and truthfully, it will not be the same. You will love better, harder, with fuller hearts and a greater appreciation for each other. You will love more fiercely, more freely, and you will never take each other for granted like before. You will know exactly what you want, and you will be thankful every day that it is in the form of your person, the one who has always been meant for you and in turn, the person you have always been meant for. In a society that is fueled off of impatience, spontaneity, and recklessness, I impose the concept of faith in the belief that the person who is truly meant for you is on their journey, taking the winds and turns to meet you at the right place, and the right time.

Learn your lessons. Grow and become so, very fulfilled. Empower yourself, and grow into the best version of yourself for the person that has always been meant for you.

A special note from the author: To the love of my life, the man who was always there, the man who found his way back to me in the middle of the road at the right point of our journey. You have always been my person. You have always been my best friend. You have always belonged with me, and I have always belonged with you. You are the strongest confirmation that fate is real, and that two people who truly love each other will always find their way back.