My high school boyfriend Max and I dated for 2 1/2 years, from ages 17-19, broke up and didn't speak for 12 months, and then came back together to dance around each other for a few years more before settling into a comfortable friendship. At this point, he's one of my best friends and favorite people in the world.I'm not sure how it happened, but I suspect it's because--beyond having that rush of first high school love together--we really, really liked each other as friends. He's hilarious, and smart and extra tall. We grew up in the same town; we know each other like we know ourselves.
This isn't the most flattering photo of either of us (and he will officially kill me if he sees this post), but here's a shot of us dancing at my wedding last month. The song: Peter Cetera's GLORY OF LOVE. Ha!
My high school self, who cried all night when he left for college, would be thrilled at the way we're best friends today. Have you guys kept any past loves in your life successfully, or do you plan to? If you'd asked me at 17, I would have said, "I hope so."
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My old love and I didn't stay friends. It would have been great if we did but I found an ever better one!
I stayed in touch with my first love for years, and then lost him for a few but always planned to send a letter (he liked letters!) of my news and whereabouts when I had "more time." When I learned that he died, well, I was completely devastated. There's never enough time. But I'm so glad to have had the truly great time when he transitioned from "first love" to very dear "friend."
Lovely post, Melissa!
I always managed to remain friends with my ex boyfriends, although now we've grown up and grown apart-which is not fun, since we usually ran in the same social circles. But my first love in HS and I have remained good friends and even though we may not talk all the time, we catch up every once in awhile and it's like no time has passed at all. I still consider him a very good friend and I'm glad we maintained that friendship.
I still have yet to discover my first love. I hope that even if it doesn't last, we'll be able to be friends. No one can ever completely forget their first love.
Aww, that's cute! I hope I will stay in touch with my guy friends.
That's so cute! I actually have a somewhat similar story. My high school boyfriend and I were best friends first. Then we dated, which lasted only for a few months because we both moved away to college. The first year, although apart, we kept in touch constantly. Slowly, we grew apart - both changing quite a bit. A couple of years later, we got back in touch over a Christmas break. We've been close since! We'll never date again, but I'm so glad to have him around. Hopefully he'll be dancing with me at my wedding too!
I had a best friend in HS who liked me In That Way before I realized I liked him - but by then he had moved on and had a girlfriend (perhaps that's why I suddenly had a thing for him?) Suddenly I understood how difficult it must have been for him the first year when I was oblivious to him liking me because it was so hard still being good friends when I wanted more.
That is so sweet! I have a similar situation -- just recently got married to the most wonderful man in the world, and my first real high school boyfriend was there to give me a hug after I walked down the aisle. :) It's great to keep old friends.
I've never been in love, but if I do fall in love and we (as we undoubtly will) break up, I hope we are able to remain friends like you and your first love!
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