My little sister and her best friend turned to me at the races this past summer and asked “How do you know when you’re in love? Like that this is the real thing?” Wow. I’m profoundly under-qualified to answer that question. Just because I’m very happily married to the best man on earth—does not make me the Love Expert. Especially since I feel very much like I was dropped into this dream for no other reason than God decided to bless me with a wonderful marriage. I’ve done nothing to deserve this, in fact, quite the opposite. I was running headlong down a road to nowhere good when I was suddenly stopped short by a man who has captivated everything in me.
I know, that sounds cheesy.
How did I know he was the one? How did I know I was in Love?
The Real Truth?
I didn’t. I remember wondering if I could really trust him—a jaded heart will do that too you. I remember second-guessing if it would really work—a relationship also teaches you a lot about what you really care about. But ultimately, I knew he loved me. He showed it in a thousand ways. He trusted me. He respected me as a woman. He cared about me. He asked my opinion. He was vocal about loving me. He was considerate. And he loved me. He told me so, I knew it, and I knew he loved me more than I loved him. That sounds bad, As though I’m not as committed to this relationship, or that I settled. I am. I didn’t. I just threw my heart on the line because I was tired of holding it back. I decided to trust him, and I’ve never looked back. And when he first asked me if I would marry him when I was a mess of tears and shame in his arms, I knew that he was all mine.
So how did I know I really loved him? I do not believe that we only are truly in love with the man we marry. We love each person in our lives at different levels and in different ways. There are men in my past that I loved and still care for—but in a completely different way than I love my husband. They will always have a place in my past, and I am glad I knew them, but I am thrilled that I get to share my life with Keith.
