Top 10

I have started to read some "Top Lists of the 2000s" and while I would typically reserve such a list for closer to the end of the year, I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

So,

Top 10 Things I Learned About Love in the 2000s:

10) Your friends will be there for you when he screws up...because he will screw up.
9) The first guy you like may not be the first guy you love. But, you will mistaken him as such.
8) Don't go on vacation with your ex less than a week after breaking up. You will pretend things are fine while really it will be one of the most awkward experiences of your life.
7) You have to let people love, heal, and learn in their own time. It is a sign of maturity to let go of your friends' decisions from a moral standpoint and still support them.
6) Kissing is awesomeeeee.
5) You will never get the time back that you wasted on guys (or even just people) who contributed nothing to your growth or well-being. Choose wisely.
4) Being single is OK. Being in a relationship is OK, too. Being happy is the most important thing.
3) You need guy friends who are strictly friends. They will give relationship advice to you straight, no chaser.
2) Your first love will shake you to your core. It will have no limits. And, that is what makes it amazing.
1) If you don't love yourself, truly embrace who you are during the good times and the not-so-good times, constantly make an effort to accomplish things, grow, and change, none of the 9 things listed above will ever matter.

And, here are some extras that didn't make the cut:
*Sometimes, your dad can give really crazy good relationship advice.
* Family is the most unparalled source of love you can receive sometimes.
*When he says he doesn't want a girlfriend, he DOESN'T want a girlfriend.
*Some relationships in your life will never have an official title. They will defy the boundaries of what it means to be a friend or a girlfriend. But, they will still be valuable relationships.
* When you say "I'm over it," those three words could not be the furthest thing from the truth. If you have to say it to mean it, you don't mean it at all.
*Good things come to those who wait.
* Having a set of values, especially when it comes to this crazy world of relationships, can really help you stand your ground.
* He's out there. Just you wait.

Love freely,
tY