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Love...it is the ambition of some and the greatest fear of others. To truly love, we must be willing to give of ourselves; it is a constant cycle of giving to our spouses, our siblings, our children, our parents. Those who love us return the favor, and those who don't take advantage of our gift. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way to tell if someone loves you is to take the leap, and pray that the landing is soft.
I don't believe that the phrases "first love" and "puppy love" should be equated. Puppy love implies infatuation, a fleeting emotional connection based on frivolous or superficial reasons. First love can be powerful, unforgettable, and eternal. Adolescents in the throes of first love may seem highly irrational and downright silly, but ask yourself this: Don't we all act that way in those glorious early days, when love is new and in full bloom?
My husband and I have been together since 1991. We were eight and nine, respectively, at the time. I had never enjoyed the company of girls; at that point in my life, I was a tomboy. But there was something about him...all of a sudden, I found myself wanting to wear makeup and frilly dresses. He seemed to bring out my femininity in a very big way. When we started holding hands in middle school, my mother was appalled and my father was militant. Dad did whatever he could to keep us apart, all to no avail. Theses days, Dad has excepted our love for what it is: true.
To this very day, I stubbornly cling to my husband with all my might. Because we have known each other so long, and gone through a great deal of life's "firsts" together, we are connected to each other on the deepest level.
I am in no way a braggart. I believe that God looked down on me as a child, saw the loneliness and turmoil inside of me, and acted in his infinite wisdom. He chose to give me something that many search their whole lives for, while I was still just a shy, introverted girl. I am not prideful, nor do I feel a sense of entitlement to the great love I share with my husband.
I am simply grateful.

Learn more about this author, Eboni Manning.
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