Romantic lessons learned since high school...

Whether you are thirteen or thirty falling in love feels the same--so does a broken heart. Age teaches us perspective, but we retain our feelings.

Regardless of when it happens, love is love. I am older and a little wiser, but the truth is, a passionate kiss feels the same on my sofa as it felt in the back hall of my high school. I remain scared, vulnerable, and hopelessly romantic. The prospect of love thrills me. And the experience of love soothes me.

My conversations with other women have taught me that I am not the only teenaged lover disguised as a grown up. Even though we are professionals, our decisions are often as likely to be motivated by romance as they are by raises.

Recently, I have witnessed the full romantic spectrum. I have listened to my friends brag about their wonderful boyfriends, witnessed a friend exchange vows with her new husband, and consoled someone who was crying because a guy that she believed in proved to be ordinary. I also listened to a high school classmate confide about how badly she wants a boyfriend. Other than the wedding, these stories could have been high school tales.

The heart is ageless. Even though we hoped that age would give us some sort of romantic armor, getting older doesn’t make us immune to emotions or to second guessing our decisions. We continue to question ourselves and our choices. Should we invest everything in a relationship? Is he playing hard to get or is he disinterested? Do I love him more than he loves me?

Despite the uncertainty, those of us who have been lucky enough to learn the right lessons, learn to appreciate the entire romantic experience. We develop an appreciation for the yin and the yang of it. We realize that we should take no aspect for granted. We appreciate the kisses, the passion and the tears. And even if we are alone, we know that love hasn’t abandoned us. We just have to open our eyes to find it again.

Hmm...perhaps we have learned something about love since high school.