I’m not one of those angsty teens that think all things in the world are bad and that everything you even try to do isn’t worth it. On the other hand, I’m also not one that thinks that life is a fairy tale and we all have our soul-mate out there somewhere. I would like to call myself a realist.

As a little girl I grew up on fairy tales and princesses. That’s what I believed my life would be like as I grew up. I would be forced into servitude, sleep on a pea, then kiss a frog and boom- Happily ever after. It would be the perfect life and it was going to happen to me… or so I thought. Life has its ups and downs and as we grow older love and relationships come into play. At first they seem like the best thing ever. Most have gone through that phase where they “dated” someone for about 3 days and they were madly in love, until 4 days from then of course. A week, that’s how long it takes for young kids to fall in and out of love. Just like that. This sad, sad, cycle went on and on until high school. Everyone seemed to grow up and actually got to know a person before they said the big L word. Yeah, at one point in my life I wanted a prince to come sweep me off my feet, but I was never loose with saying I love you. I never really knew what it meant and if you don’t know what a word means don’t say it. I would always ask my mom how I would know if I was in love. She always said that I would know. Of course, that answer never actually satisfied me. How would I know if I didn’t know what it was?!?! The only thing I could think is “what if I find my prince and I don’t know it?” I wanted my fairy tale.

Now, I’m not the wisest person in the world, but through the years I’ve learned a thing or two. First of all, fairy tales don’t really happen the way they do in the story books. Along the way there will be bumps, bruises, and times that you really just want to give up. The next lesson I learned stemmed from the first- always get up and always go on. I decided life had its own way of working things out and one day my prince would come. I’m happy to say my patience has paid off. I am currently in a relationship of almost two years and I couldn’t be happier. Like I said before, I’m a realist. I won’t lie and say my relationship is perfect and nothing ever goes wrong. The thing is I understand that there is nothing wrong with the imperfections. Our fights and silly quarrels only bring us closer in the end. We’ve figured out that we really just need to communicate. Communication is key in any relationship. With Matt everything just seems better. I know that if I’m having a hard time he’ll always be there to talk to. To be in a successful relationship it’s important that you can talk to one another and be yourself. It’s best to find someone that you connect with on various levels. I believe that some people try too hard to force love, but love is not something that can be forced; it just happens.

There are basic parts of a relationship that people tend to look over. For example, a relationship should always be equal. Your significant other should respect you enough to listen to you and try to understand what you have to say. It’s hard, but double standards shouldn’t exist. Another important aspect is trust. It’s hard to trust someone, it really is. This is especially hard when you’ve been hurt in the past. I’m not saying be silly and continue to make the same mistakes, but also keep in mind this new person is not the last person; don’t put on them the faults of the last. You must also support your significant other! Whether it be school, a new idea, sports, or just listening to them: it’s essential. This shows that you really care for them. One of the most important parts of a relationship is that the person makes you laugh. You won’t always be happy, but when you are you’ll be happy together. The laughs and memories I’ve made with Matthew will stay with me for the rest of my life. I’m happy to say that not only have I fallen in love with him, but he is also one of my closest friends.

Being in a relationship does not equate to being in love. Love will happen. Give it time. Focus on being happy and having fun spending time with your significant other.

I never really knew what my mom meant when she said “you’ll just know”- until now. No, this might not last forever, I understand that, but for now it’s what makes me happy.