Apples

21 January 2023

Last night Michael treated me to a surprise early wedding anniversary dinner at Monte Bianco and I couldn't help but think of this memory.

In 2006 when I was 16 years old, after feeling really sad and disappointed that the boys that I liked were never interested in dating me, one of my good friend's shared this story with me. She said, "Girls are like apples. The best are at the top [of the tree]. Boys however are often afraid to reach for the ones at the top out of fear of being rejected then falling down and getting hurt. This is why they often settle for the mushy rotten apples on the bottom because they are easier to reach. But someday, the right, brave boy will reach for the top."

I recorded my feelings and this story in my diary at the time. Fast forward 17 years, last night while sitting at dinner I couldn't help but look at Michael and see how true my friend's words were and still are. I didn't meet Michael for another 10 years, and I'm so thankful that I chose to not settle for anything less than what was true for me, for interests that dissolved or rejections that I experienced, and that he was brave enough to reach for me and not give up on me when times became really, really hard. I'm thankful for the wait--the years of singleness that allowed us both to grow separately as individuals. I'm so glad I did the work on myself that allowed me to recognize a man of character when I met one; choose one when I decided I was ready for it. And I'm so grateful that life brought me to him.