Dear daughter,
I'm sure you wonder why I write all of this and why I sound like I am all about you being in a relationship. I guess it's time to give you a little bit of my story.
I was a lot like you, I looked a lot like you, I was tall and thin and loved to talk to people. I had more guy friends than girlfriends, more frenemies than friends. I was confident, athletic, loved horses and even liked a few boys I went to school with.
When I was 15, the same summer that I met the guy in the first chapter, I met another guy. That summer, right before I turned 16, I hung out a lot with my cousin who lived about an hour away. He liked one of my friends and he introduced me to many of his friends. One of them was a guy I ended up dating. I don't even remember how long we stayed together but the distance back in the day of paying for long distance phone calls was an issue. I don't regret a minute of dating him. We talked about everything. He was my first kiss, the boy I was excited to get a first kiss from and a boy that I still to this day, don't regret being my first kiss. Between then, and when I met your dad when I was 18, there was a couple of boyfriends that I totally regret ever dating and one that I still talk to occasionally and then there was that first boy again. You see, when I began my senior year, he was in the army. We reconnected and started dating again. We talked about everything, we even talked about getting married as soon as I graduated. He came home for Christmas and brought me a beautiful ring and promises. I don't know what happened when he went back, all of a sudden, there was no longer any communication from him. There was nothing I could do. I accepted it, I sort of moved on. You see, this was a guy I really respected because he was my first kiss and first kiss only. He never asked for more from me because we talked about it and decided to wait. Fast forward a few months and I went on Spring Break. I was a senior, I was ready to be done with school and I already knew my plans for my life. I was done dating and told God that I was done, when the right person came along it would be the person I'd be with forever. Well, I wrote my first boyfriend a letter and sent it before coming home from spring break. The weekend after I got home, I went to a party and met a guy. That guy drove me home that night because the person I was with couldn't drive. That guy stayed all night and we talked and talked and talked. A week later, I got a phone call.... That letter I sent, well he read it and he called because he wanted to get back together. I remember what I prayed for. I told him that I met someone and that I needed to think. I called the guy I had met and told him what happened and that I had to figure out what I wanted. We hung up and I almost immediately regretted it. I don't think it was even two hours later that I called the guy back who I had just met and told him that I choose him. Three weeks later, we talked about getting married. A month later, we looked at rings, and 27 years ago today, he officially proposed marriage to me. About two years later, we married and two years after that we had your sister, another two years and we had your middle sister and then almost six years later, we had you. Do I regret any of it? No. I just wish that he had been that first kiss, that first everything, and my first love.
I think that is why I want to see you happy with the right guy even now. I know at least 10 couples in my immediate circles that met at your age and are still married to that first person they loved. Your sister's say it too, they wish for you not to know heartache and not to know anyone else but that guy who is right for you.
I love you,
Mom
