Love at First Sight

Please excuse a sappy post from a new bride. :)

Do you believe in love at first sight? I sure didn't.

I guess in my mind, love at first sight played out like the opening scene of Disney's Enchanted. Giselle literally falls into the Prince's lap, they lay eyes on each other for the first time, and after politely asking for Giselle's name, the Prince declares "We shall be married in the morning!" One look is all it takes, and then they ride off into the sunset together back to the Prince's castle.

Totally unrealistic. Completely impossible.

But maybe that's not how love at first sight works at all. I submit that love at first sight isn't love at all in the beginning. It's an instant attraction, an instant pull to each other, a spark and a connection and a giddiness to be with the other person... the sort of thing that often takes a while to develop, appearing suddenly at a first meeting.... If you're both lucky enough to have it, you act on it. You spend time together getting to know one another.... and if you're really lucky, that feeling builds and builds until it blossoms into full-blown love.

Love at first sight means there was never an instant that you've known this person when you weren't attracted to them, when you weren't hoping for a happy ending.

A disclaimer here. Love can come in many ways and in many different speeds of course. Love at first sight isn't superior to slowly falling for an old friend, or realizing a few dates in that you like this gentleman far more than you thought. The important thing isn't how love comes into our lives, but what it grows to be.

I never thought I'd be someone to fall in love at first sight. I was someone typically slow to warm up to any man I was interested in. I found that I usually had to know a man for at least a month before I'd feel the slightest feelings for him. I discovered it was easier for me to get to know men as friends and develop interest from there, rather than jump into dating right away. When a man asked me out when we first met, there was just too much pressure in trying to evaluate if this perfect stranger was someone I wanted to marry or not. Silly, maybe, but true for me.

And then, I met Trevor.

It wasn't like a scene from a fairy tale. I didn't look at him and just know. The heavens didn't open and an angelic choir didn't sing out to let me know that I'd found my prince charming.

But right away, we were attracted to each other. When we talked, we just... clicked. We liked each other like that and we wanted to get to know each other better.

When Trevor moved to the Springs, we connected again at his first YSA activity. We made arrangements to go to a church event together that Sunday. Saturday night beforehand, we ended up sitting together at a fireside. And we were inseparable after that. Right from the get go we were going on 2 dates a week and spending time together at church, at FHE, at institute, at the Friday night mingles. We were together almost every day. And it felt so natural to be together all that time. It just felt... right.

Before, I would go out on dates with men I wasn't sure about for probably longer than I should have. Sometimes 5 or 6 dates, saying yes when they asked again because I had a good time with them, even though I wasn't completely sold yet on committing to them. And then all of a sudden (or so it would appear to me!) they would ask me to be their girlfriend, and I'd scramble and take a step back. I'd have to tell them that although I enjoyed our time together, I was not ready to commit. I wasn't saying I wouldn't ever be, but I wasn't yet. Then I'd go home and stress and over-analyze and eventually, always come to the conclusion that while I had fun with these guys, I didn't want a long-term relationship with them. I couldn't imagine marrying them. I'd break the news as gently as I could, and that was that.

But when Trevor asked me to be his girlfriend, only three weeks into our dating, I thought, What took you so long? and my answer was the easiest in the world.

Everything with us was so easy. There was never any chick flick drama--no airport chase scene, no last minute dramatic reveal that threatened to rip us apart, no anguished and frightened declarations of love. We liked each other, we got to know each other better, we fell in love, and it was all very open and sincere and sweet.

Now here I am, Trevor's wife, sealed to him for time and all eternity. All those hopes that were born in the instant that we met came true. It's amazing to think about. I am so grateful this wonderful man came into my life. Everyday with him seems to be better than the last. I am excited for the rest of our lives together.