I have recently rediscovered your notorious love story — the one that began not only my love for your “narrator” Shakespeare, but my fascination with love all of those years ago. The difference is that I am not the same girl that I was then. In fact, I know better now than to believe that what you and Juliet shared was what love is supposed to look like. However, since I wasn’t there to witness your relationship, maybe you could clue me in.

How did it feel, Romeo, to look at Juliet for the first time? You were at the ball (one, of course, your attendance was blatantly forbidden and yet you still entered despite your better judgement) looking around for her cousin, mind you, and yet as soon as you look across the balcony, you see her. For you, it seems, that it was the beginning — it was fate that love had pointed its arrow at her lovely, young face. Yet what you fail to realize Romeo, is that it was anything but fate. As I have grown older, I have realized that love is much more than a simple look in someone’s eye. Tell me Romeo, did you know what Juliet’s favorite song was from that gaze you shared, or that the tiny scar above her eyebrow was from when she fell off her horse? From that one glance, could you actually see the worry behind her meek facade and that she in fact was anxious about being forced to marry a man that she didn’t even love? To answer my own question — no you couldn’t. That is because a single look can only tell you so much about a person and love takes asking the right questions in order to be set in motion.

OK, and can we also address the pledge of undying love thing? Listen, Romeo, as much as I love the idea of spending forever with someone, and that person telling me to "choose them” Meredith Grey style, let me be completely honest — if a guy who I had literally met not even three hours ago told me to “pick him, choose him, love him” I would be choosing to call the police, watch them pick him up and loving the idea of him being far, far away from me. My point is, you did not even know her, how were you going to pledge your devotion to her? That is just down right stalker-ish and not even romantic in the slightest. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, though, considering that you were 16-years-old and were probably hoarding some My Chemical Romance CD’s in your chambers and writing in your diary how “no one like understood you.” That is the problem with teenage love — everything seems so real when, in the grand scheme of things, it’s all just superficial.

Now let’s talk about the whole "marriage ending in a double suicide" elephant in the room. Not only did you marry a girl that you barely knew (besides that her name was Juliet, she was the only daughter of your enemy and, oh yeah, she liked making Rose analogies), but you committed a double suicide. Why, was the honeymoon too expensive? Again, I will give you the benefit of the doubt, as the actions that transpired did not go according to the original plan — granted a stupid plan, but one none the less. Still, I wonder; even after all is said and done, and all of the players have taken their final bow, do you regret it, Romeo? Was Juliet still worth ending your life over? I think that is the nail in the coffin for me — the one aspect that makes me realize how immature the relationship is. While I admire the tenacious spirit of fighting for someone even when the odds are against it, I don’t think that anyone is worth dying over, especially a girl that you just met. You had so much going for you — you were young, handsome, well liked, brave; you could have made a positive effect on the family feud and changed things between your family and the Capulet’s. Instead, you were so blinded by what you wanted in the moment that all you could see was no other choice but the one that you made.

Yet, don’t get down on yourself, Romeo. I still love your story. Sure, it might not be for the same reasons as I once did (again, I was a teenager too and believed that your love was forever and Taylor Swift was right when she said that “your love was difficult but real”), but for completely different ones. You remind me of the power that words have on us, especially when they are so beautiful and eloquent (no wonder Juliet swooned). You also remind me that love isn’t as simple as a first glance and that sometimes the greatest love stories are the ones that have multiple acts, rather than one dramatic, tragic ending. Most importantly, you remind me of the importance of fighting for love because sometimes you have to create your own happy ending.

Speaking of which — wherever you are, Romeo, I hope you and Juliet found your happily ever after.

Sincerely,

The Romantic at Heart