True Love for Everyone

When I was a girl I looked at my family tree and every branch was spliced. Some kids have two sets of grandparents, but divorces gave me extra sets, which seemed like a perk at the time. My aunts and uncles were divorced; my mom was divorced. I overheard marriage trouble conversations and was hesitant to believe a happily-ever-after ending was more than a fairy tale. Marriage looked dangerous. Living alone looked more peaceful - safer for sure, considering my heritage.

As I got older, I observed couples who seemed happy and those who didn't. I tried to detect the differences between couples who lasted forty years and those who split after their kids launched. I might have given up on the whole idea if it weren't for my Grandma finding my Grandpa (her second husband), who she loved so much she'd help him fix up Austin Healey's just to be with him. They did everything together.  

So when I found a man I believed could love me forever, my Grandpa gave me away to him. Walking down the aisle, I literally hung onto my reason to believe this could work. I was paranoid our first years together. 
Like a new cyclist, I freaked out a lot. Big misunderstandings, loneliness, and life's ups and downs scared me because I hadn't watched a couple survive the downs. A sweet counselor coached me and Brian was so patient with me that after a while, I found my balance. Eventually I could even look around and realize, "I'm doing it! I can do this!" 

I know our story isn't over and it's already had lots of downs along with glorious ups. But I want to testify for people who don't believe it can happen. Have faith. I don't know if everyone's destiny holds romantic love, but I know it holds true love. Even in our broken world, love is alive and healthy relationships exist and God is freakin' invested in you having some relationships like that. Growing up without them doesn't exclude you from the party. I think God gets extra excited about helping her kids who've been in the darkest shadows, find the circle of her love light. 

True loves become a home for your heart and hold the memory of who you are in case you forget. It's everything this song says better than I ever could. 

Wishing you a lovely Valentine's day!