You were snarky and shy, awkward in that endearing gangly teenage boy kind of way. You made me laugh, and your eyes sparkled when I teased back.
It never entered my mind those eyes held my future in their ocean of blue . . . because we were just kids when we fell in love.
We lived the typical high school sweetheart life, the two of us. You picked me up in your questionable car to drive us to Friday night football games, Tuesday night basketball contests. We held hands as we drove around town, stealing kisses at stop signs and red lights, grinning like two kids in love, because that’s exactly what we were.
It never occurred to me those moments would become the foundation of a lifelong romance that would deepen and evolve . . . because we were just kids when we fell in love.
It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, of course. What teenager can escape those hormone-charged years without some drama? We broke up over something silly or selfish or both, as dating teens do. But we patched it up, learning to listen more than we talked, to understand instead of accuse, to offer grace instead of guilt.
It didn’t dawn on me then what we were practicing was the kind of communication critical to a successful marriage . . . because we were just kids when we fell in love.
We got married—bonafide grownups!—and moved in to our first home together, that tiny one-bedroom apartment on the second floor. We claimed our sides of the bed (you left, me right) and learned to love each other in new and wonderful ways.
I didn’t understand then that the passion ignited would settle into the embers of a lifelong love . . . because we were just kids when we fell in love.
It wasn’t long before our two became three—then more—and we learned to be parents. We lost sleep, felt like we lost ourselves sometimes, and worried over everything. The older we got, the more complicated life seemed. Hard things surfaced, testing our family, our faith. It was easier before, when our lives didn’t have quite so much living in them . . . right?
But we were just kids when we fell in love.
We’re older now, wiser, more resilient and a heck of a lot stronger. We’ve been weathered by heartbreak. Strengthened by sorrow. Fortified by faith and family and friends.
We couldn’t have known it then, but those two kids who fell in love so many years ago? They’re the foundation of this life we’re doing together, the heartbeat of a love we’re committed to sharing for a lifetime.
And that makes me so very grateful we were those two lovestruck kids when we fell in love.
Marriage takes work. Thankfully, there’s an app that can help! Lasting— the nation’s #1 relationship counseling app — provides accessible sessions designed to help you build a healthy marriage. Download and take Lasting’s free Relationship Health Assessment.
You may also like:
The Truth About Marrying Your High School Sweetheart
I Married Young and Never Looked Back
Dear Husband, There is Something So Beautiful About Building This Life Together