What I Know

"WHAT I REALLY KNOW'  is my first post.  Hello, out there! I've been meaning to write for years.  I retired from teaching five years ago. For most of my adult life, I was "too busy", but I seem to be out of excuses now. Since it's the season for love (what season isn't), I share this reflection





What I really know about first love is that it's a glorious ride that probably will not last , but you don't know that, then. It's that first partner that literally makes your heart pound. You anticipate every date with an enthusiasm unlike any other. You feel as though it's forever until you see each other again...and it's been only five hours since you were together. The relationship seems perfect. You agree on everything from politics to sports teams. You like and dislike all the same people.Even the small spats produce wonderful make-up sessions. You will never laugh or cry harder than in those days. It is the early 1970's, the families know each other and are cheering on a wedding with "Hope Chest" treasures and visions of grandchildren dancing in their heads. It seems like nothing can go wrong. The passion of this first love is really just too much; it can become overwhelming. It seems like nothing can go wrong...until it does.
              

Somebody loves the other more.Someone feels more deeply and that begins to wear on the other. Somebody starts to find faults; traits that were obvious, but overlooked or simply ignored. Somebody feels like they would like to have a little more space. Somebody decides it's not so perfect and that he or she needs a break. The end of the romance is heartbreaking for one. He or she feels as though they will never recover; that their heart is breaking and their life is over. But it's not.



You begin to understand over time. It was a moment that's over. It's the rush of emotion that you experience once and then you move on to all the other relationships that will shape and ultimately fulfill your life. That first passion could not be sustained. As lovely as it was, someone needed more . That idyllic moment has passed. You will never forget him or her and the older you become, the more tender the memory. Any emotional scars associated with that breakup fade into a genuine appreciation for having had that moment. Despite time, or maybe because of it, there remains a unique kind of love. It's first love that you carry all your days.