Like ordinary people, Conell and Marianne taught us what love really means and how one learns to truly experience it, away from toxicity and pettiness. A love that begins in adolescence and whether or not it follows you into your later adult life, you know that it will always find a place to rest within your soul. Your first love, your forever charm. The one that breaks the routine of your narrow microcosm and suddenly your horizons expand. So does your heart.
Teenage love has a sophisticated immaturity built into it. You are young and everything seems unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. Learning how to love is like learning to crawl. At first you are afraid, timid and looking for a hand to hold on to. But then you get comfortable daring to take a few steps, you realize that yes, you can succeed. Ultimately, you surrender to your instincts. So is love: at first it is complicated, it confuses you, because nothing is clear and cannot be named. With time, however, the dark cloud above you dissolves and you can stand on your own two feet. You have gained your first emotional independence.
It seems extremely peculiar how a stranger or simple acquaintance – as it was before – turns into the person who will know every hidden aspect of you – later. Strange as it may seem, it is based on the natural progression of things. The chemistry that exists between you two feeds the relationship and makes it flourish, sometimes prolonging the tensions. Daily contact is not always consistent with meaningful contact. Real communication requires honesty, availability and respect. At the same time, it also requires personal time. For both of us to exist separately as units, but to truly exist together in union when we can share ourselves.
It is not uncommon that your decisions will be based on the fact that you love someone and then in a flash your life will change. These people are present in your moments, in your thoughts even if they’re not in the same space as you. But when they’re there, the movie-like glances will know how to meet each other in the crowd that separates you. Your options for the journey of life after puberty are quite a lot. And you feel scared because the possibilities often tend to be against your wishes. Different city, different studies, meeting each other on holidays, summers, when you wish these moments would be endless, during a trip to the city where the other person studies, in messages, calls and if you are one of the romantic ones, countless letters, as proof that you also existed in love once.
So why should we be “ordinary people” in love, in lust? Because love and the need for love are deeply rooted in us. They are part of who we are and how we see ourselves. The way in which we teach others to love us but also the such different ways in which each individual seeks to be loved are quite extraordinary. They reveal who we are and are pieces that we carry inside us forever. Once you love, no matter how much pain accompanies you, even if the fear of loss lurks, you can be sure that you will never be the same again. As Marianne also said: “He brought me goodness like a gift and now it belongs to me”. Loving and being loved is a gift that belongs to you. Don’t miss an opportunity to celebrate it every day.
