Photography: Elizabeth Messina
"Mommy, when will I find my prince? And where?" I told her, "Later. When you're 25 he will show up at your door."
I remember my Mom telling me that very thing when I was a young girl. Lucky for me (or for her actually), my Mister did show up when I was twenty-five. Actually, he was a little early. We met when I was 23, in my office. He wasn't a colleague, he was an ad executive just passing through selling ads. I never did purchase any ads from him. But when I was twenty-five, he got me to sign a lifetime contract with him.
I found it hard to believe that someone could just show up at your door and sweep you off your feet. That only happens to Snow White and her gang of fairy tale princesses. That happens only in products of imagination, not real life. I found the idea "waiting for love" down right unbelievable. I wasn't a sceptic. I was a realist. And so off I went on my endless search for men. If I wanted to make things happen, I had to do it myself. I wasn't going to leave that to chance. But the chase frustrated me, because I have always found something not quite right. I went from one relationship after another, telling myself that whatever happens I was not to be single. I built a wall around my heart so that no matter what happens, I will always be alright. Until one day, I got my heart broken. And then I stopped everything. I stopped chasing. I stopped making things happen. I just stopped.
It felt weird for a while to step into the slow lane. But it was in that lane that I got to pass by several people without any agenda. I met new friends. I experienced new relationships, discovered love I never knew existed. Friendships. It was in this lane also that I met my Mister. I didn't pass him by, because he shone bright among other men and drew me closer to him. He didn't have any smooth moves or over-the-top romantic gestures, but he won me over with his attention to the small details and kept me engaged with humor and deep conversations. And then it happened. I fell in love. Well... you know the rest.
Love does just happen. Your Prince will just show up. Sometimes all you need to do is slow down, open your eyes and your heart, and let love seep in. The surprise is a wonderful feeling.
Love,
Maya
