This post is a continuation of the series “When You Knew You Were in Love”. This blog post is from Rebekah Krug, an up and coming freelance writer.
For most of us, we go through life trying to capture the elusive dream of finding that special
someone; To share our experiences with, to grow old with, to make a genuine connection with
another human being. Numerous books, songs, poems and countless other creative outlets have
been used to express the trials and tribulations of love. Each of us has our own unique story, our
own struggle to get to that dream. This is my story.
For years, I had felt an incredible, overwhelming loneliness. Surrounding myself with friends
and family did nothing to quell the growing feeling of despair. I wanted and needed love, yet could
not seem to find it. The constant action of looking for love is exhausting and with the hectic
lifestyles we live these days, when is one supposed to be able to find it in the first place? Luckily
for me, the moment I stopped searching, love found me.
I was working as a fuel attendant in my hometown when I met Jeremy. He would come in
regularly,due to his job. He was polite, respectful, yet not overly friendly. More than anything
though, I noticed his eyes. Not only were they a beautiful green, but they were filled with kindness.
Each day that I saw him, I felt myself become more and more drawn to him.
After several months of small, insignificant interactions, I mustered up enough courage to give
him my name and number. The fear of rejection can be intimidating to most of us and I am no
exception. One lazy afternoon, Jeremy came in to get a couple dollars worth in gas. After our
initial greetings, he headed into the connecting market. I quickly finished his transaction and
printed him a receipt. I wrote my name and number on the back and waited. Knowing that he
never took his receipt, I nervously made a point to hand it to him when he returned. He politely
accepted it and drove away. I was filled with disappointment; all that courage wasted. I had no
way of knowing if he had even looked at the receipt, or that he ever would.
In the days that followed, I was feeling pretty gloomy about the whole situation. I had assumed
the worst, that he had not looked at the receipt or that he was not interested. Either way, I was
crushed. Too embarrassed to interact with Jeremy, even as a customer, I would ask my co-
workers to assist him when he came into the station.
Then one day, it happened: He called me! As it turns out, he had been just as nervous as I
had. He invited me to a movie for that weekend, and I accepted. The day of our date, I was so
nervous I almost called him to cancel. My stomach was in knots, and my mind was filling with
disaster scenarios on what could go wrong.
He arrived a few minutes early to pick me up. Being the gentlemen that he is, he came up to
the door to meet my friends. After introducing himself and chatting for a few minutes, we headed
to the theater. We had agreed upon the movie “Watchmen”. A great selection, however there are
a couple of scenes in the movie that caused a few embarrassing moments, i.e. a giant, naked,
blue superhero who was well endowed. Amusing at the time, hilarious in hindsight.
Overall, our date had been successful. We had both enjoyed ourselves and promised to get in
contact with each other soon. Whether it was due to life or the shy nature of both Jeremy and I,
we did not contact or interact with each other afterwards.
Roughly around 2 years later, I stopped by a local bar to shake off a particularly rough day at
work. I walked through the door, and there he was, playing pool. I don’t know if it was “destiny” or
just good timing this time, but that night we hit it off. There was no more nervousness, no more
awkward moments. We talked as if we had known each other all our lives. The following weeks
were filled with dinner dates and times we would just “hang out” and enjoy each other’s company.
I am uncertain of how or when it happened, only of the day when I realized I loved him. We
were laying in bed, enjoying the sun streaming through the window, when I decided to tell him. I
almost whispered it, afraid of what reaction I would receive. After what seemed like hours, with my
statement just hanging in the air, he turned and looked down at me with a smile and said, “I love
you too”. Who knew 4 little words could have such an impact!
Years later, Jeremy and I are still together and are in fact preparing to buy our first home. My
story has now become our story. And although our story is still in the initial chapters, we look
forward to the years ahead of adding to it.
If you are like so many of us, you too are still looking to attain that dream of finding love. Do
not fear, I feel there is someone out there for everyone, and you should too. Hope is an important
factor in love, as it is with all aspects in life.My only suggestion to you would be is to be patient,
and be aware. You never know when love could come and bite you on the behind. Be prepared to
add to your story. And if you are one of the lucky ones that has already found love, revel in it.
Enjoy every moment you have with that special person. As the great author, Dr. Suess, once
wrote, “When you are in love, you can’t fall asleep, because reality is better than your dreams.”
Truer words were never spoken.
Email eslrblog@gmail.com or comment with your story about when you knew you were in love!
Eat, Sleep, Love, Repeat 