You never forget your first love. It's intense and new. Suddenly, the things you've seen in movies are real and they're happening in your life.

But when it's over, it hurts. Like maybe you'll never love again, maybe there is no good in the world, maybe you'll never get over it kind of hurt.

Of course, you do get over it. For some it doesn't take long at all. For others, it takes gallons of ice cream, boxes of tissues, and a whole lot of time - but either way, you heal.

You put on a brave face, and you tell yourself you're over it. And in some ways you are. But you put your walls up. You board up the windows and become a fortress. Because there's still a part of you that believes you can't trust anyone; that relationships only ever end in pain. But that's okay, because relationships are dumb and you don't want one anyway, right?

And you live like this...until you don't.

One day, when you aren't expecting it, someone catches your eye. Or you catch theirs. Either way, the two of you start talking. And talking...and talking. You start out on Facebook, messaging each other. And then you start texting at night...and all day. And you tag each other in funny videos. And then you start hanging out, having dinner together, making excuses to sit next to each other in class.

Before you know what's happened, there are chips in your wall and this person is reaching through the holes, saying "I want you."

Brick by brick, you take apart this barrier. It hurts more than you expect it to; there are layers of old heartbreak in cement you're breaking away. But it's okay, because this person is there, helping you free yourself, from a prison you weren't aware you were living in.

The next thing you know, you find yourself head over heels.

As it turns out, kissing is better than you remember.

You think, maybe, you're in love.

And things are good for a while. Until they aren't.

One day, when you aren't expecting it, you realize things aren't the way they're supposed to be. You aren't in love with them. Or they aren't in love with you. And so, one way or another, it ends.

And it hurts. Really really hurts. Like sword to the stomach, bleeding out, this pain will never stop, this is fatal, end of the world kind of hurt.

Because you knew this was coming, right? You blame yourself for the pain, because this time you could have prevented it. You should have stayed in your fortress, right? You should have stayed safe.

Because you can't get hurt if you don't take the chance, right?

Sure.

But you know what else?

If you don't take the chance, you don't ever get to feel anything. If you're busy being safe, you forget to live and you miss your life.

Safe keeps you from getting hurt, but it also keeps you from being happy, satisfied, creative, loved - safe keeps you from growing.

And if heartbreak teaches you anything, it's that you're strong enough to get through just about anything.

So one day, when you're ready and someone catches your eye, be brave enough to let yourself fall in love.

You're strong enough to handle it.

And it's worth it.

You're worth it.