Growing up most of my friends and I imagined finding love just like Cinderella or Ariel. One where Prince Charming comes to save the day and we get married and live happily ever after.

But then reality sort of kicked in.

This fantasy of love that we all grew up with won't happen. Prince Charming isn’t going to come save me. We won’t get married after knowing each other for a short period of time. But I do think I will find my Prince Charming and we will live happily ever after.

But what happened that changed my view of a “perfect” marriage?

Well I just simply grew up. I started to realize that the stories I read weren't real. Sure I still hope that my knight and shining armor will come to rescue me. However, it’s a lot harder in today's society to find him than what the TV shows and stories say. I mean I haven’t completely strayed from the cartoons but I know that it’s not always going to be that easy.

So after 20 years of living, I have decided I want a love like my moms and dads. I want something that will last years not days, weeks or months. One where we will raise a family. One where we will fight through the storms instead of running away from them or simply giving up in the middle. One where the Lord brings our hearts closer and not farther apart.

I’ve grown up watching the best love story ever.

My parents relationship didn’t start like normal ones. It started online. Obviously back then meeting someone online was a lot different than now. It wasn’t that you met someone online and hooked up with them three days later. It was more than that. People got to know the other person before anything even happened. My parents got to know each other, become friends, start their relationship, and got married.

On December 24, 1988 my parents got married in front of their families. It was small but perfect.

Over the next 28 years they would overcome some of the hardest obstacles God would throw at them. From having three amazing children, to my mom becoming sick, my parents have been next to each other every step of the way.

I know that I am only 20 years old but I know that I want a marriage just like my parents. No matter how many fights they’ve had or how hard it gets my parents still love each other at the end of the day.

Watching my dad stick by my mom's fight is the most amazing thing to watch. I know how hard it must be for him but he will do anything it takes to make sure my mom is happy. He still looks at her with love in his eyes and it’s the most amazing thing to see.