Happy, Dreamy, Strong

I was sitting with my mother at Starbucks lamenting over where all of the men in the world seem to be hiding, and something came to mind and made me smile. My young adult years haven't been incredibly rich in romance (thank you FIT!) but have, in many ways, been very rich in love and friendship. Throughout the last four years I have been surrounded by people who made me feel very loved, very secure and very happy. But, amongst all the rest, like a certain girl with red shoes, three came to mind. The dreamer, the lover, and the fighter.

The Dreamer
Have you ever met someone for whom the answer "no" literally cannot exist? I have. There was one very fine gentlemen who challenged and inspired me always. It was odd, because we weren't necessarily interested in things that always collided, it was more of a hand in hand relationship. We sat in my room for hours, planning, creating, and fancifying life... no budget was too tight and no impossibility seemed like it could constrain us. Sure, sometimes we failed, we got there in wild, beautiful and impossible ways, and I never left thinking I could have done better.

The Fighter
I think that everyone needs someone to help them realize the potential that they have in themselves. When I met my fighter, I didn't think we'd get along, but somehow the stars aligned and the things in each of us that were polar opposites evened out the other's monocromaticity. If I was blue, he was orange. I was probably mad at him the most often of the three because he challenged me. He took turns fighting against me and for me, and wouldn't ever let me take the easy way out no matter how tired or discouraged I was. He was usually right.

The Lover
I met my lover last, in a time that was one of the hardest that I'd ever experienced. This boy... made magic! He knew how to take a terrible situation and make it brighter, armed with nothing but a hug. His kindness forced me open and I trusted and depended on him faster than anyone before... I think almost everyone who meets him does. He is literally sunshine personified, there's almost no way to feel gloomy when he's around. I was always so grateful for the unabashed selflessness that he embodied and wished that someday I could return the favor. I still don't know if I ever can.

So, as I thought about these three wonderful gentlemen that were placed in my life in the last couple years, I realized how lucky I am... and how cool it was, that these three boys from NY changed who I am and how I view the world without even knowing it.

I bet if you thought about it, you have them too-- the dreamers, the fighters, and the lovers-- and after thinking about it tonight, I feel very sorry for you if you don't.