A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS
Life's Best Moments Usually Happen Unplanned
Our love story in exactly one thousand words
"Maybe in another universe, there could be You and I. But it can't be this one."
There are certain memories that stick with you forever, where you vividly remember every detail. It's as if you could close your eyes, and you're transported to that exact moment.
I was parked in front of a dog grooming salon, and the streets were calm as it was nearing 11 p.m. But the world was oblivious to the whirlwind of emotions trapped in my car.
The thoughts in my head were never allowed to escape because if they did, hearts would be broken. When you don't say it out loud, you can dance around the idea without responsibility.
That night, our feelings were unleashed, and we knew there was no turning back. This was the first time we expressed our desire to be together.
But as liberating as it was to finally speak our truth, we were aware of the consequences if we let our words leave the confines of the car. We were both in a committed relationship and understood the boundaries we were about to cross.
As someone who plans out her entire life, this was one I could have never seen coming. I live a very predictable life.
I have been with my high school sweetheart for almost a decade and everyone, including me, knew we would get married one day.
The shift wasn't sudden. There was no drunken night or spur-of-the-moment affair. Our interactions consisted of short but meaningful dialogue. The feelings formed like little rays of sunlight, each shared moment leading to the immensity of the love we would have for one another. Our conversations got deeper. He became the first one I wanted to share my milestones with, and our future became clear as our values aligned.
However, I didn't want to disappoint anyone. I confessed what I've been feeling in an effort to make my current relationship work. I was determined to put my yearning aside to fulfill a commitment I made.
My brain and my heart were in constant conflict as I tried to make a choice. In the process of trying to preserve two hearts, I was shattering them both.
Often, people think there's only one reason why a relationship fails. They want a black and white answer. But it wasn't that simple. Having met at such a young age, I didn't understand what it meant to be my own person without him. There was a high level of co-dependency and it wasn't anyone's fault.
Looking back, there were many red flags I ignored because I accepted the roles we had to play in our relationship. I was sure one day he would change into the person I wanted in my life. He would grow up and our goals would finally align. I just had to be there with him to see it through, because that's what I thought love was.
We tried to make it work but we both knew it was meant to end.
A year after that night in the car, my now husband left for a trip. It was during this time I knew he was the one. There really is something about distance that makes the reality of not being together harder to bear.
When he came back, I made a choice – a decision that altered my universe.
What we thought was impossible, finally happened. We spent almost every day together conversing until the sun came up. There was so much to discover about each other and yet we felt like we already knew one another.
Even though there was a lot of turmoil around us, being with him always felt peaceful. It felt certain. It felt safe.
More than the connection we had for each other, meeting him gave me a chance to reconnect with myself. I felt like I was coming back to a part of me that was lost for a long time.
No one understood our love. Some thought I was pregnant, some never thought we would last, and some were angry with us.
Despite all of that, I was so happy, but I had to hide my happiness to appease everyone. I felt a lot of guilt for a long time. There were moments I thought I didn't deserve to be happy because of all the hurt I've caused.
We never planned for any of this to happen.
In the end, I chose the universe with the man that inspired me to be the best version of myself, the man that made me see myself as a whole rather than an extension of someone else, the man who loved me whether I decided to spend the rest of my life with him or not, the man whose dream was to become a father one day, the man who continually aspires to grow, and the man whose wisdom I'm in awe of every day.
In the summer of 2017, we got married. It was a beautiful sunny day, on the bridge his dad used to take him to as a boy, and we said our vows.
"With faith, love, and joy, I give you this watch as a reminder to trust in God's timing. I vow to take the time to be the best version of myself for our marriage by putting Him in the centre of our relationship. I choose you to be my husband and to grow with you from this day and forevermore."
Five years and two adorable boys later, he was one of the best decisions I've ever made. On our first date, we talked about how moments in life are like little dots and it's only when we look back can we see how these dots connect.
The universe has a funny way of orchestrating our lives. As much as I think I'm in control, events like this prove there is something greater than me that holds our destiny. And that life's best moments usually happen unplanned.