Wondering right now about your Weekend of Love? Single Awareness Day? Stupid Cupid? Shout out to those who resisted the urge to target darts at your exes pic or devil’s horns with Sharpies or post hate comments on IG. Because you’re better than all that. Whether you reveled in or repulsed the chocolate and teddy bears and little chubby, naked guys flying around, I do wish that some moment in that heart-fluffed day managed to bring happy smiles to you.
A lot of love in my life for Valentine’s 2014...partied the night away with 90 of Miami’s best and brightest young adults @centralchurchonline...doing what we do best...life! The most brilliant girls I know, made this love affair picture perfect! And...can’t forget to mention...we all celebrated late night, my one and only’s feliz cumpleanos! Happy Birthday, Baby!
Finally, I am dying to hear your love stories...please do post!
Runner Girl audience has been asking for this epic tale of romance and it should really be front and center somewhere trending in cyberspace. At least that’s my opinion. Hopeless romantics brace yourselves. This one is timeless and always, always magical in the retale.
I was 23...ready...waiting...pins and needles...for life...to...to...happen... determined there was more to me than schoolteaching it in Missouri to Old Maid status. Traveling to Nepal or feeding Africa’s children or possibly educating Columbian orphans, sounded magnificent and I was travel-ready. Unexplainably, they just weren’t right for me. My mind was pleading, “Please... for the love of God...get me out of the midwest!” So I did the thing I knew to do. I prayed. I got really desperate and undoubtedly serious. And I prayed. I made a deal that I would give everything as long as I knew where to give it to. Then somehow straight out of the heavens...it came to me...move to Florida. “Uhmmm...did I hear that right? Florida?” But it was resonating deep in my spirit and thoughts and this new excitement was exploding from every ounce of me. My epiphany moment had happened and I had to go.
So I took my talents to South Beach. I caught a flight to Miami. Sat on the beach. Indulged in cafesitos (sweet baby Jesus). Touched the sand. Devoured tres leches. Sipped coconut milk...straight from the fruit. And embraced my destiny. Because I finally got it. My purpose...my calling...my reason for being...was bigger than I could have ever imagined...and yes, my post-college life, was emerging.
By my second flight, I was job fairing it in Ft. Lauderdale and blind dating it by night. And I figured what the heck to some random mystery guy of a friend of a friend, because I didn’t know another living soul in the 305. I opened the sliding glass door and it was all unicorns and stars and fireworks for my blue-eyed boy. Apparently...I had him at hello...and I didn’t even know. I hadn’t even been looking. But that’s how destiny sweeps you off your feet...when you’re not expecting it. When you’ve decided you didn’t even need it.
A phone call the next day, a sharing of emails, overwhelming, lingering, I-don’t-want-to-hang-up convos...and somehow I had stumbled straight into love...unlike anything I had ever known or could describe or had ever felt. This was undeniably, no doubts, bells and glitter and Skittles, can’t eat, can’t sleep, can barely breathe...the-stuff-dreams-are-made-of kind of love.
And all the other toads didn’t stand a chance against this completely kissable Romeo. Yes sir, you can call me Juliet anytime. He was every single expectant thing on my list and then some...confidant...hilarious...crazy, wild hair...musician-type...uhmm...err...my type...and he even paid for my meals (now that’s a thought worth considering boys). So that’s when you know. You have to be his...when...he takes care of you...stands up for you...challenges you to be better. This is what true princes do. They fight for you. They rescue you. And he is still coming to my defense 12 years later.
We don’t have to chase down our happily ever afters. True royals stop kissing frogs; embrace the queen within; climb down from the safety of their towers and their walls...even if it means walking away from everything you’ve known...without looking back. If Cinderella had returned for that glimmering slipper, she would never have become queen. Don’t let the thoughts of the past keep you from walking forward...willing to take a risk...believe in a fairytale...chance it...allowing life not to make sense... discovering the royal within.
Royals are born to wealth and grace and dignity and purpose and endless possibilities. My guy and I are still rich in love, because we understand that wealth is not what you have but who you are and how you live each day. Now and forever, don’t let a second go by without walking with your head held high, poised, strong, determined, courageous, pure, total abandon, heart full of love...you will be the richest this world has ever seen. #youareroyal
