COLUMN: Why I still believe in love
When I was 17 years old, I would have never thought I would meet someone who I would fall in love with that would forever change my life.
I was a junior in high school when I met the guy I would go on to date for three-and-a-half years. The story of how we met is simple and short: we met through my cousin, because they’re best friends.
Sure, I thought this guy was nice and cute, but I wasn’t interested in anything beyond that. I was content hanging out with my girlfriends and doing stuff like shopping and having sleepovers. To have a boyfriend, a long-term serious one at that, just wasn’t on my list at the time.
That all changed when this guy became a sophomore, and we were at the same school together. I didn’t think much of it at the time, because there were several other new sophomores coming to the school, so I thought, what was one more?
We started dating not too long after school began, and the relationship, like any other at the beginning, was new, fun and thrilling. I didn’t think anything could go wrong. But as we got older and grew up, we also grew apart and changed. We fought a lot more, and it seemed like the relationship was doing more harm than good to both of us.
It was around early last year that our relationship of nearly three-and-a-half years ended for good. I was upset, and it felt like my heart had literally been broken. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how things could go from being so great to simply ending. I didn't understand how someone could just leave a relationship that long without any feasible explanation.
Nearly a year later, I’ve gained a new perspective. While he and I may not have worked out forever like either of us had planned, I don’t have regrets about our relationship or feel like I've given up hope that I can find love again. I know it will happen.
I am sure of that by looking at the relationships of my family members. My brother was engaged once before, but eventually broke it off, and my sister was married once before and got a divorce.
The reason I look to these examples is because even though unfortunate things happened to them, they ended up getting a second chance at love with someone else. My brother is now happily engaged again, and my sister happily remarried.
It is because of them that I believe in second chances. Breakups are hard, but many times saying goodbye to one relationship opens the door for another, better one.
