That perfect fairy tale enchantment that we all see.
Then I grew up and aquired a broken heart and wanted nothing to do with the ideas that I once kept,
I gave up and felt my notions of love were all fiction, as I sat alone and wept.
The day then came, as it often does, that I met someone who proved my despair wrong,
My days were overcome with sweetness and at night I lived the lyrics of every love song.
There came a time when I could then see,
Love is not about the fairy tale that everyone expects it will be.
Love is picking me up when I fall, laughing at me when I make my many silly mistakes,
Love is getting me through the difficult times, and having the desire to do whatever it takes.
Love is those long talks that never had a purpose, and always finding time for me in your day,
Love is making it all work no matter how hard it may get, and always finding a way.
Love is a trip to get ice cream with me, when you have no ambition to go,
Love is letting me figure things out on my own without saying "I told you so".
Love is laughing about how we met, and telling stories about our pasts,
Love is beating the odds, and knowing that we will be the ones who will last.
Love is coming to see me at 2 A.M., and always doing so with a smile,
Love is knowing just when to hold me, if only for a while.
Love is all of those little notes and cards that come out of the clear blue sky,
Love is never second guessing each other and never wondering why.
Love is still being tongue tied whenever you walk into a room,
Love is always seeing the light through all of the recent gloom.
Love is saying "I'm sorry" when you've said things you didn't mean to say,
Love is watching movies together on a rainy day.
Love is always trusting each other no matter how hard it may sometimes be to do so,
Love is cheering each other up whenever we begin to feel low.
Love is producing a smile when all you want to do is weep,
Love is having 6 hour conversations when all you want to do is sleep.
Love is when on the most difficult days, we can still walk hand-in-hand,
Love is accepting the little faults and flaws and never making demands.
I've learned that love is about the little things,
It's not all fairy tales and romance and wedding rings.
Thank you for showing me what love is and what it can be,
For the first time I can love and I am loved, totally and completely."
-Lauren Simpson
8-26-03