My First Love

First Love

There is no other feeling like falling in love, especially for the first time, and especially if it is reciprocated.  I was thirteen the first time I fell in love, and he was all I could think about every waking minute of every day.  In my dreams he begged me to marry him, holding my hand in his, down on one knee.  His dark brown eyes looking deeply into mine, waiting for me to give my answer, yes, yes, YES!  In reality, he barely knew I existed, but after several months, I knew he liked me and I was on cloud nine for a good two years - until one tragic day when I was fifteen and a half, I realized it was all over and he had found another.  Of course I was broken hearted, couldn't eat or concentrate on my school work.  My poor mother didn't know what to do to console me.  After several 'coincidences' when I cleverly arranged for him to bump into me unexpectedly, I had to admit defeat and pull myself together.  Although the pain of rejection took a few weeks to lessen, I thought of him fondly for many years afterwards, even after I got married, and even now 35 years later.  And for a few moments, I remember that overwhelming feeling of love and extreme happiness I felt so intensely for the first time.

Back then, I thought love could overcome anything.  I didn't need food, didn't need money, I just needed to be in love.  All these years later, and after all the ups and downs that life has thrown my way, and the realization that I do need food and money, I truly believe that love can conquer all, and judging by all the dating agencies and newspaper adds where people are trying to find 'companionship, possibly leading to love' I am not alone in that belief.

Finding the right person to share your love with definitely helps.  I think some people are so eager to find their perfect partner that they rush into relationships assuming that companionship and fondness will progress into love, only to find that they didn't take enough time to find out for sure and eventually end up alone and once again looking for that elusive perfect partner to love.

There is no doubt that human beings are capable of great love, but many of us don't know how to show it in our everyday lives.  It is so easy to get bogged down with a career and taking care of the home and family that we forget to make time for the one we love.  We need to slow down, take stock and decide who or what is most important in our lives and then organize everything else around it so that it doesn't get pushed out and undervalued.  Ultimately, love is the glue that holds families together - and if we are really lucky, we never become unstuck.