The phrase "hopeless romantic" has always seemed like an oxymoron to me. What's so hopeless about truly believing that one day, no matter how far away that day is, you will find your true love? To me, the phrase would be better suited if it was called "hopeful romantic.” And another thing, why is being a hopeless romantic such a bad thing? Why are people with this trait always portrayed as crying over a tub of ice cream while watching bad rom-coms or daydreaming so intensely to the point of missing entire conversations?
I will be the first one to admit how big of a baby I can be when it comes to romance. Give me two characters that I adore separately as their own people, then give them a small spark, and I'm done. You'll probably find me rolling on the floor laughing cause I can't contain my joy. I just finished watching season five of New Girl after being horribly out of the loop for about half of the season. And surely I wasn't the only one crying at Cece and Schmidt's wedding? Or the last few episodes of Once Upon a Time? Those almost killed me, I swear.
What I've come to learn about being a hopeless romantic though is that people assume you're this mushy, lovey-dovey person that has nothing better to do than cry and stalk the relationships of others. Not a whole lot of people really know what it's like to be a hopeless romantic.
Being a hopeless romantic means that seeing two people genuinely in love makes my heart happy. It makes me extremely happy for them, fictional or not. They have found their other half, the person they were meant to be with, and why wouldn't that make me ecstatic? Being a hopeless romantic doesn't mean that you're resentful and hopeless about finding your true love, but it means that you find joy and peace in other people finding happiness with someone they love.
Yes, I believe completely in true love. I grew up being a Disney child, fairy tales and happily ever afters being thrown in my face with every movie I watched. But I've also seen true love at work in my own life. I was blessed with excellent role models of this principal. My parents, my granny and papa, friends, and other family members. I know it exists, it's just a matter of finding it. And despite some really rough break-ups in my life, I still tell myself that the right guy is out there waiting for me, like I'm waiting for him.
But just because I can be a hopeless romantic, doesn't mean that's all I am. I'm strong and honest and anxious sometimes. My whole life isn't about finding love for me and everyone around me. It isn't me sitting around waiting for my prince charming 24/7. It means that I have a heart full of hope. Sometimes I think I was filled with too much hope and love, but then I tell myself that I could have been filled with nothing at all. And what kind of a life is one without love?
There is never anything to be ashamed about being a hopeless romantic, despite what you hear. There is nothing to be ashamed about believing that two people are meant to be together. Love is love, and there isn't anything wrong with being venerable to the fact that you adore that two people have found the other half of their heart. Cynicism can be destructive to a good soul, but hope can shed so much light.
