If you've ever watched "How I Met Your Mother" for more than five minutes, you know that Robin and Ted have a complicated relationship. From the first moment they met, Ted was madly in love with Robin, and that really didn't change much over the nine seasons until he met "The Mother."
We all have a little bit of Ted in us. We all have that one person -- Robin -- who we will never completely get over. Lots of people get lucky and end up with that person, but others do not. Last year, I met the Robin to my Ted. At first glance, my Robin was everything I wanted him to be- Christian, smart, funny, attractive, and he eventually became one of my closest friends. Much like in HIMYM, I was completely convinced that my Robin was the person I was meant to be with. And just like in HIMYM, that didn't change much as the year moved forward. We became close friends, hung out constantly, and I fell further and further into the depths of Ted-dom.
Fast-forward to season nine: Robin and Barney's wedding (spoiler alert). I had given up on my Robin. I simply wasn't going to get to him, and I had accepted that. But then, in true season-nine-Robin fashion, my Robin told me how he felt. My Robin had feelings for me, and I had been completely clueless the whole time. It was in that moment of complete and utter shock that I realized that I wouldn't steal a blue French horn for this guy. He was-- and is-- incredible. That being said, he's my Robin... but he isn't my guy (or girl) with the yellow umbrella.
Here's the thing about my Robin: I don't see us ending up like the HIMYM series finale. In fact, I don't want us to end up like the series finale. I love him, and I think I will always love him, but he's in a place in my heart that is far, far away from the spot reserved for yellow-umbrella owners. Robin is part of my journey, but he's only part of it. To quote Robin Scherbatsky, "You can't jump straight to the end. The journey is the best part." And I am forever grateful that my Robin was a part of my journey, but I am even more grateful that he isn't the end.
For every Ted out there, there's a Robin. And for every Ted out there, there's a girl with a yellow umbrella. We just have to be patient. It's hard, especially when we're surrounded by Lilys and Marshalls, but the thing that keeps me going is what happens about five minutes before the end of the series finale: The monumental moment when Ted finally meets the girl with the yellow umbrella. That's what I'm holding out for: The pure, unadulterated joy and peace of meeting the person I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with. So Robin, I'm sorry, but I'm holding out for the guy with the yellow umbrella.
