Have you ever had your heart broken?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about when Coco gets older. Most of it is exciting, but I dread the things she'll have to go through that aren't fun or enjoyable. When I was 20, I fell completely head over heels in love with a guy named Peter and then he completely broke my heart. It literally ached inside my chest and I was so utterly crushed by the whole experience that I lost ten pounds. It was the most profound sadness I had felt as an adult.

During that time, I was babysitting regularly for an alumnus of my sorority in Eugene. One day when I was leaving to go home, she could see how sad I was and asked what was the matter. I explained the situation in one sentence (it really doesn't take more than that, does it? ;) and she said the kindest two things to me. First she said with true conviction, "I know you're going to find someone just perfect and you will be so happy." I believed her. Then she went on to say something that really surprised me: "I'd never relive my twenties, no matter what you gave me I'd never go through all that again." I remembered those words often throughout my twenties (which are thankfully over!) and I was glad through the entire confusing, questioning, searching decade to have some reassurance that I wasn't undervaluing one of my life's golden ages. 

Have you seen the movie The Wackness? It's a sweet movie in a lot of ways. And Josh Peck is so handsome! I guess it's true that everybody has to have their heart broken sometime, isn't it? 

{photo from here}