Love.

Kelton blogged about being a hopeless romantic the other day and I started to leave him this super long comment but then I realized I should probably just put it as a blog because it was getting too involved. I guess I just want to write about my experience with love.
I know there are some people who say that from the moment they met their significant other there were sparks and fireworks and every moment after that was perfect and they felt like they had known each other forever and ever by their third conversation. That is not how love has been for me.
We started dating under less-than-romantic circumstances. Looking at our backgrounds you'd think we were a very strange match. There was chemistry when we first met, but no fireworks. I wasn't sure we'd be good together when we decided to be exclusive. But as we dated and got to know each other I was content with our relationship. It was fun and I was happy with it... for now. It didn't occur to me that I would really fall in love with him. Then, every now and then there would be a moment where I was more than just happy. I was perfectly happy. There was no room for doubts or misgivings or unhappiness in my heart for that moment and it was because I was with him. Still no fireworks... just a perfect happy moment. Those moments became more and more frequent when I was with him. He'd say something or we'd go somewhere fun or he'd take my hand out of nowhere. I thought I loved him when I felt that way even when he wasn't around. Then, we fought. And after our first real, knock down, drag out fight I knew for sure that I loved him. I loved how we resolved it. I loved how I never thought that this situation would affect us in our relationship. Still no fireworks. Instead, there was confidence, understanding, compromise, and forgiveness. And that felt better than fireworks.
Honestly, our first kiss sucked. Neither of us had intentions for a relationship. I knew that I would be just fine without him if he never called me back. But since then, it has become the best relationship I've ever been in. I would not be okay at all without him, and we've had plenty of kisses that make up for that first one.
I don't feel like I've known him forever, even now, after 6 months. I don't understand everything about him. I can't always predict his moods or know what he is feeling just by looking at him.
But I do know that I want to spend the rest of forever knowing him. I want to learn everything about him and become so much a part of him that I can predict his moods and know what he feels all the time. It will take years. Decades. And I'm so excited for it.
That is how I know I love him. And if you ask me, the way I am with him now, is so much better than the way I used to hope I would fall in love.