The ending is the best part

"Your Story Matters, Tell It"

4 years ago I received a wall hanging that told me my story mattered, it was my own personal mantra.  I have a story, everyone has a story, mine I thought was worth telling.  My story has always been the same, the single woman proving her independence and sharing her faults.  I've told you, my friends, about the men I date, the places I go and the spite I have.  I'm now out of those stories.

I've spent the past 10 or so years of my life learning how I wanted to be loved and learning to love myself. I've been in relationships that were a farce, I've experienced heartbreak, I've stayed up too late with the wrong boys and gone to bed too early with the wrong men.  I've learned who I am and I've accepted my faults. Actually, I've embraced them. I started out this year by saying I wanted to live my last 6 months in my 20s and my first 6 months in my 30s by doing me.  I decided I was spending this year as I have the past 29, single and only concerned about myself.

January 15th changed my life.  I went on a first date with low expectations; I rarely wanted to go on a second.  As I sat in the little Fountain Square cantina sipping on a spicy margarita, I hoped this guy was going to be taller than me.  That's it.  I knew he was funny, charming and intelligent but I didn't know his height.  This was my deal breaker as shallow as it sounds. He walked in and I no longer cared about his height, I couldn't even tell you if he was 5'2 or 6'7; all I knew is I was immediately smitten and we were wearing the same shoes.  We spent the next 3 hours laughing and talking and discovering the person across from us.  As we left I waved him a casual good-bye.  He thought it was over before it began and I knew it was just the beginning.  Minutes later I told my best friend I had just left my last first date.

Within two weeks we knew both knew where this was headed. Everyday I'm more in love with this man and everyday I'm more excited for the next. For many years I've been writing my story and I can firmly now say, I've found my happy ending. I've spent the past 10 years learning to love myself so I can spend the rest of my life loving him. I no longer live for just me, I live for us. 

Everyone has a happy ending my friends, just keep waiting for yours to arrive.  Mine rode in not on a white horse, but instead wearing Chuck Taylor's.