It was not until I was sitting at a paint night during my sophomore year of college when I realized how taboo my parents’ relationship was and still is. We were all painting and talking about any and everything when the topic of parents and marriage came up. One girl stated that she had never heard her parents say I love you to each and she has never seen them kiss. I was extremely confused. How could two people who were married never say I love you or kiss?! “Wow that’s crazy, my parents say I love you all the time and they don’t leave the house without kissing one another,” I quickly responded.
Instantly everybody sat up in their seats and looked like they wanted to say “YOUR PARENTS ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER?!”
I always knew I was really lucky to have both of my parents in my life but I did not realize I was lucky enough to have parents who actually show that they love each other. My parents started dating during their first year of high school and they have been together ever since. It will be sixteen years since they got married on October 4th. To this day my parents still act like two teenagers who are still in the early phases of puppy love. They kiss each other all the time, they effortlessly say I love you whenever they get the chance, and it is extremely vivid how much they are attracted to each other. I did not realize until recently how these constant portrayals of love and affection have shaped me as a person and how I view love.
Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I am a hopeless romantic or a complete “sap,” as my friends like to say. I cry at weddings, seeing a couple be affectionate makes my heart warm, and I think about my future boyfriend and what kind of dates we are going to go on often. I also just have a very optimistic attitude about love and marriage, which is becoming rare in our society. I just simply know in my heart that there is a man out in this world who will love me for me and watch The Golden Girls with me when I am having a bad day. My optimism for love can only be attributed to the home my parents cultivated. This kind of love has always been the norm for me, I saw it with my parents and all of the movies I watched as a child and have come to love, so it does not seem like something impossible for me to experience.
Growing up in a household where “I love yous” were shared all the time and you were showered in kisses whenever your heart desired (even when you were tired of them), has made me a very affectionate person. I am 100% that friend who sends random messages telling my friends I love them and I am very appreciative of them being in my life. Even when I have a crush I always feel the need to tell him how I am feeling at that moment and how he makes me feel, even if I sound crazy or I am not sure how he is going to respond. Seeing and hearing my parents not being fearful to confess their love to one another or to praise each other, has supplied me with comfort to do the same with others. Although being honest about my feelings and how much I care for someone has often resulted in me being labeled as emotional, sensitive, a sap, and too lovey-dovey, I know that many people in this world wish they could effortlessly tell their loved ones how much they love them. I cannot thank my parents enough for simply being kind to one another and not being afraid to love each other out loud. They have allowed me to continue to have a positive outlook on love even though I know it’s not always perfect, I still welcome it with open arms.
Happy Anniversary to my favorite couple on the planet. Wishing you many more years of love and happiness!