Sweet Young Love

O' sweet, young love.  How special it is!  But how young is too young?  I remember my first "boyfriend", Jamie Meeks.  We were in kindergarten.  Mainly my only memory of him was that my mother and I picked him up at his house to take him roller skating.  He gave me a heart shaped box of chocolates.  Half of them were missing because his baby sister ate them.  I remember skating with Jamie and sitting in the middle of the rink while the "Thriller" video played on the video screen.  Then he wet his pants, had to put on a pair of mine on (mom had an extra pair in the station wagon) and we left to take him home.  While this wasn't a love connections and was just two friends going skating, I had in my head that he was my "boyfriend"  At six years old?  What was my mother thinking?  I'm sure it went something like this, "Oh they are so cute.  Little boyfriend and girlfriend, how sweet!"  Times were more innocent then.

However, as I grew up, I had many boyfriends.  And I can remember each one (that could be a good or bad thing).  For the most part just innocent relationships until I reached the six grade.  This was the age when you began to have more physical feelings.  However, holding hands and a stolen peck on the lips was where these feelings led to.  I remember holding my boyfriend's hand on the bus.  Or stealing a kiss at the teen center before running to my mom's car.  This went on through the eighth grade.  Hearts broken over first "love".

High school was a totally different level.  No longer just with my grade level I had to worry about senior boys.  Looking back at the boyfriends I had in high school I just shake my head.  Each one seemed to be the love of my life.  "The One".  My heart was broken many times in high school.  And then put back together by the next one.  The physical part of these relationships became intense, however, I never went past that point of no return.

Not until after graduating high school and spending the summer away from home did I meet my first true love.  But at eighteen years old I was still too young for such a serious relationship and it did not last.  As I mentioned in my previous post I met my now husband at the age of twenty.  While I think its young now, it was perfect timing then.  God put us in that place because he had a plan for us.

Looking back through my history of "love", I am fearful for my children.  I am so glad that they have come so far without worrying about relationships.  My oldest is in fifth grade. She is a beautiful little girl and at this moment boys are her friends and that is where it ends.  In a world where children are over sexed and made to grow up much fast I am thankful that my children are not being affected by that as much as others are.

Last night we were at a basketball game. Our catholic school was playing the public middle school.  Now I am not saying one type of school is better than the other but private school does have it's benefits.  As I watched my daughter run up and down the court I would also keep an eye on the young couple sitting a few bleachers below me.  They had to be six or seventh grade at the oldest.  They were sitting so close to each other that they were practically sitting on top of one another.  Seriously, I wanted to go down there and tell them to leave a little room for the Holy Spirit.  The boy had his arm around the girl.  I knew that if he went for the reach around I would jump down those bleachers.  She may not be mine and he is not mine but come on.  I remember holding hands and the stolen pecks but cuddling up so close in front of a packed gym?  Never!!  It made me nervous because my daughter is growing up so fast.  I want her to enjoy being a child.  But in a few short years she will want to go to games with her boyfriend and hold hands.  For now she gets to stay my little girl.

I don't want her to rush into "love" like I did.  Growing up it seemed like I couldn't go on without a boyfriend.  Like I had to have someone else attached to me to be whole.  Only when did I truly know that that wasn't the truth did I find true love.  This is one reason I won't let her read the Twilight series.  She is smart enough to read the book and keep up with it.  However, the novels aren't just about young teenage love.  Its a strong love.  That type of love comes with many sacrifices.  My daughter is way too young to comprehend all of that and I don't want her to have to try.  Besides it would be way to weird if she were to start crushing on Edward Cullen like I do.  Plus, I would have to disown her if she went "Team Jacob".

I know this post has gone on for ever. I was just pondering "young love".  When is too young?  How do we protect them?  How will I survive it?