Young Love Can Last Forever
"To Love and Be Loved is to Feel the Sun from Both Sides" – David Viscott
I I had been trying my best to avoid him for over two weeks. That was about the time he confided that he had something to tell me. I guessed he liked me and would probably ask me to be his girl. I did not have those feelings for him and did not want to change our relationship. I just wanted to remain good friends.
When I saw him waiting for me outside our homeroom door I knew it was time to face the music. He confronted me with, “I’ve been trying all this time to tell you that someone in our class likes you. That’s him sitting over there”.
Whew, what a relief! I did not have to go through the awkward “I like you as a friend” conversation. But someone in my homeroom class liked me? Please! These were sixteen year old boys and everyone knew sixteen year old girls were far more mature.
So I turned to take a quick glance…
Look At His Eyes
I got lost gazing into the darkest eyes with the longest eyelashes I had ever seen. Time literalIy stood still because I don’t remember how long I remained there seemingly hypnotized. Thanks to the aim of Cupid’s arrow, my destiny was about to unfold.
Shortly afterward we became “the couple” in high school. This very shy guy who was so courteous, so attentive, and who could always make me laugh. He would walk me to my classes, carry my books home, and soon set the quality that other of my friends expected their boyfriends to follow.
We had a professional photo taken as a couple that first year. The photographer featured it in his street-front showroom window. It did not take long before girlfriends from school converged on this studio with boyfriends in tow to take a couples’ photo. That photography studio made a mint. We often joked we should have gotten a commission for the free advertising.
Still in Love
We look back on the romance, struggles and joys of being newlyweds, new parents, new homeowners. Now new grandparents. And we are still very much in love. This was our destiny.
What’s our secret? I don’t think there is any one thing. Except caring deeply about the other’s wellbeing. Lots of hugs – touch is so familiar and comforting. Sweetheart names we always call each other. Loving memories and keepsakes to reminisce (the couple’s portrait we took in high school sits on our bedroom dresser today) and making new memories. You know what else? He still makes me laugh.
