The little things

First love

First loves are never easy. Personally this is an area where I lack experience, but as an advisory and confidant to many friends over the years, I have learned some things.

Firstly, if the love isn't reciprocated, it can really suck, like end of the world suck. You can feel like your life is over, like you've ruined a relationship, that you can never face them again. I have also found that this generally isn't so, nobody died, the world keeps turning, life goes on.

Second, while it's happening, it can be euphoric. This new found feeling is amazing, and especially if it develops into a relationship, it keeps you high on life.

Next, the come down is hard. The realisation that relationships require work is a tough one, and only some make it through, some just aren't willing to put in the effort.

The ending is almost always messy. In my experience a mutual or even relatively calm ending to a first love is like a unicorn, extremely rare, but stories exist of them. What I have seen first hand is nights spent crying and eating ice cream, followed by an anger filled, post breakup collision, followed by a healing period.

Lastly, and most importantly, I have learnt that, after a first love, there is almost always a second. The one does exist, but it is possible there are multiple ones, and they don't have to be the one, to be the first one.