You're sitting alone on a bench in the park. You've had a long day, and this is the perfect place to come and relax. The sun shines high and bright in the sky and the clouds move slowly. You breathe in the summertime air. All of a sudden, he walks up and introduces himself, and he sits right next to you. You're absolutely shocked that this (very cute) boy would ever want to talk to someone like you, but you go with it. And soon enough, you find yourself in a great conversation with this person you only met a few hours ago.
He gives you his number, and says that he'll call you later. And sure enough, while your sitting at home that night just about to turn on Netflix, you hear your phone ring. It's him. You pick up nervously (and secretly excitedly) and he begins to tell you how happy he was that he mustered up the strength to sit next to you on the bench that day. The two of you laugh on opposite lines, on opposite sides of town. He asks you if he could take you out to dinner sometime, and you agree without hesitation.
Flash forward a few years, and you're sitting on the same bench, with the same boy. You both sit in silence for a few minutes, just appreciating the presence of the other person. Next thing you know, he gets down on one knee and pulls out a ring, meant just for you. Of course, you say yes.
Isn't this what we all dream of? A "movie-scene" kind of relationship, right? A perfect beginning, and a perfect end. Meeting someone randomly and unexpectedly in the most adorable way, falling in love by the second, and eventually getting married to live the rest of your lives together.
For the longest time, I've had this preconceived notion that this is the only way a relationship can be. You must talk talk on the phone every single night, plan to see each other every single weekend, take the cutest pictures together and post them on Facebook for all your friends to see...etc. etc. Sounds perfect, right? Well there's something about perfection that isn't exactly perfect.
Perfection = pressure. If I aim for perfection in everything that I do, I will also put pounds and pounds of pressure and stress on myself because perfection can only be achieved in the one way that I want it to be. Everything may seem beautiful when it's perfect...but if every relationship started perfectly and flawlessly, without any awkwardness, all of our stories would be the same.
A story. Something you can tell, something you can remember, something you can look back on and laugh at or cry at. It's your own. Every relationship has it's own story. There is no "right" and "wrong" here, and there is no such thing as a perfect story because all of our idealizations are based on worldly things (what we see in movies, music, books, media, etc.). If your idea of a "perfect" relationship is keeping up your Snapchat streak, texting every. single. second. of. every. single. day, or going on perfect cute little dates, then there is something BIG you're missing.
It's okay to be awkward...like real awkward. It's okay to not even talk at all for a day. It's okay to be bluntly honest. It's okay to not be perfect. All these "non-perfect things" make all of our stories unique and beautiful. If we choose to embrace the fact that our relationships didn't start in the most perfect way, or the fact that our first kiss didn't go as planned, all those pounds and pounds of pressure will be taken off. You'll begin to realize that this is your story, and there is none that can compare.
I dare you to do things the non-perfect way. Maybe it's starting to talk to a girl/boy online that you've never even met before. Maybe it's embracing the fact that your first kiss is going to be straight up awkward. Maybe it's being straight up honest and getting your heart broken.
Whatever it may be...
it will be real, because it won't be perfect.
