~About Prince Charming~

My life to this point has been fraught with drama. I've loved, I've been loved, I've lost and I've left. That is not to say that I haven't had my fairytale moments, however. Even in their flawed exterior, they still managed to have a little magic. The passionate kisses, the ragged breaths between them, the anticipation.

The thing about Prince Charming is that he doesn't exist anymore. At least, not in the way that he used to. Not in the way we wish he did. As we grew up we saw a man who loved his woman so passionately, so selfishly, that he would risk life and limb to protect her. He defended her honor. He craved her love and she his. The trouble is that while Prince Charming may be out there, he's changed. And so have we. We don't live in a land of horses and carriages, jousts and chivalry. We live in a land of Ford F-150's and XBox 360. We don't court and fall madly in love for happily ever after. We see lovers as disposable. "There are plenty of fish in the sea." While Romeo and Juliet recited sonnets and compared each other to the stars, we send a quick 5 word text and a smiley.

While some of us may get lucky enough to find a real Prince Charming, others of us end up with men that fall perilously short of our idealistic persona. The truth of it is, we expect far more in our hearts than any modern man can possibly know.

I've known my boyfriend for almost 16 years. We've been together as a couple for almost 4. He did not woo me, nor did he slay some great evil to rescue me from my tower. What he did was infinitely more than that. He rescued me from the pit of my despair. He climbed in to the abyss and carried me out. And then he did the unthinkable....he LOVED ME. He fought some of the greatest battles of my life right along with me.

If I've learned anything from the patchwork heart in my chest, it's that you have to FIND the magic. It doesn't just appear. When you do find it, you must nurture it and encourage it to grow.

And if you learn nothing else in this life know this: You. Deserve. Love. You deserve the magic. You can have the fairytale.

So put on your sweetest dress, put a flower in your hair and open your eyes for the magic...