Growing up as a young girl, I always dreamed of getting married, traveling the world with my partner, and having a cozy home to raise our family as we grow old together over the years. I envisioned myself sitting on a porch next to my partner, rocking in a chair as we sipped tea – the quintessential, idyllic picture of a happy couple who has grown stronger through the trials and tribulations that life has thrown our way.
I cherished this image as a little girl and felt it in my heart that this what we all deserve and long for in our lives.
But then we grow up…
We spend our hormonal teenage years trying to figure ourselves out – changing our looks as we’re bombarded with magazines and celebrities that tell us “what beauty looks like.” We face challenges and hardships as we experience our first love, then our first heartbreak. Then we age a little more and venture out even further into the world, where more excitement and disappointment awaits. All of this is crucial and necessary to our development, but it can also be entirely discouraging.
I experienced all of this. Pouring my love and heart into a relationship that I thought would bring my pleasant romantic dreams to fruition. When I had my first serious relationship, I naively thought that this would be the man I would spend the rest of my life with. Looking back, I can’t be mad at myself – I was young and making the mistakes that I needed to make, but ultimately, the relationship was never genuinely fulfilling.
I continued to develop and grow older, experiencing more relationships, and after all the heartbreak, I began to feel like I was always doing the best I could, yet never feeling truly loved or appreciated. I began to think that the problem was me.
But just as life would have it, all good things come to you when you truly let go, when you are ready.
That is when I met you.
For the first time in my life, I honestly felt like I wasn’t settling.
When we go out to dinner with friends, I don’t feel like I have to keep you entertained or “pleased.” You enjoy being by my side just as much as I enjoy having you by mine. When I’m excited to try something new, whether it’s a new restaurant or fitness class, you are always eager to join or support me in my endeavors.
You know how to make me feel special. Even when I don’t have makeup on, you look me in the eyes and tell me how beautiful you think I am. When I’m feeling physically drained, bloated, cranky or moody, you patiently sit by my side, sometimes without even talking, and somehow you know how to make me feel better.
You make me breakfast in bed. You know my favorite color and how I like my coffee. You sit with me during my favorite movies, and even if you don’t love it, you watch it because you know how much I enjoy it.
You know that my family is so important to me. I have always done best to make it to important events that involve my loved ones – whether it be a birthday, holiday or special occasion, I’ve always made an effort to be there. Having a partner like you by my side who not only make me a priority but also my family, is the ultimate gesture of love and compassion.
When I look back on my past relationships and the heartache and disappointment I endured, I am so thankful that I went through that because that is what led me to you. You are caring. You are considerate.
You make me laugh, and you make my heart feel so full. I’m so thankful for you – over and over again I will always choose you.
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About the Author: Madalyn is a Florida-born girl who has spent the last four years working and basking in the Caribbean sun. Even though she grew up dancing professionally, she is often called a “bull in a china shop” for her clumsy ways. A true lover of the outdoors and new places, Madalyn is always up for an adventure. She has a vast taste for different types of music, often getting caught dancing wherever she is. Writing has always been a passion for Madalyn, and she’s made it her personal life mission to spread the love through words by detailing the eccentricities, from the unconventional to the mundane, of a 20-something just trying to figure out this life, one adventure at a time.
