I got to thinking about real relationships. Real relationships aren’t immediately obvious. We must fight for these. There is a reason people give up. We know that something out there is better for us. We know that our love cannot sustain the grueling future. And that is okay. But sometimes, we hit the love jackpot. And that’s the best luck of all. But we must also realize: all relationships go through difficulty, but it’s solely the real relationships that get through these hardships. Once you get through a hardship, you know you’re in the right place. And that’s the craziest and most amazing feeling of all, to have found that.

I got to thinking about Christmas. The holidays are my favorite time of year. I love everything: the excessive amounts of hot cocoa with peppermint syrup, the ‘Nsync Christmas album playing over and over, spending time with family, the red cups at Starbucks. It truly is a magical time. The holidays reaffirm my happiness in this world. There is nothing more special than being with my family during the time of possible snowfall and Christmas songs. To a wonderful holiday season for everyone! May your wishes come true.

I got to thinking about prince charming. Does prince charming exist? Of course, there is the prince charming we all read in fairy tales and the one portrayed on the fabulous ABC show, Once Upon a Time. But what I’ve come to realize is that prince charming exists in the daylight, too. We may have to search high and low. We may spend our entire lives’ searching for our prince charming, but he is out there. And how do we know if we’ve met our prince charming? That’s easy. Prince charming will make you want to be better, love more fully, and finally come to understand what it means to be content. To those of you still searching, you shall find your prince charming. To those of you with your prince charming: keep him and never let him go.

I got to thinking about deal breakers. What are your deal breakers in relationships? In friendships? Do you have any? And are these deal breakers specific? Or merely just rules you set for yourself? I will admit; I have several deal breakers. But what I’ve come to realize is that deal breakers are important, if kept to a minimum. You should never compromise what you believe or what annoys you for anyone. But you should also not have such strong opinions that your deal breakers break your relationships.

I got to thinking about fictional characters. What is the obsession with fictional characters? We fall in love with fictional characters every time we turn on the television. I know I have. We wish these characters could be real; we wish these characters could sweep us off our feet. We hope for our Prince Charming to save us. Our absorption into this world has become a serious obsession. But what I’ve come to realize is that we shouldn’t hold out for a character that isn’t real. Love stories in real life can be just as romantic. We just don’t always think of it that way, as we aren’t seeing our love stories play out. Besides, our love stories are always more unique than any fictional story. Believe it, and it will be true.

I got to thinking about criticism. We all have critics screaming at us in the back of our minds’. Sometimes, we literally have critics shouting to change something that has already been altered several times. But should we listen to these critics? After all, we’re told to follow our instincts. William Arthur Ward wrote: “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me, and I may be forced to love you.” This quote will stand the test of time simply because it’s true. We criticize ourselves, we criticize others, and we don’t believe compliments because criticism has jaded us. This is what I propose: just do your best, because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Criticism doesn’t matter. What we believe matters.

I got to thinking about love stories. There are those love stories we see in the movies every weekend. And these stories make us believe in love. But these are not the only stories we should watch. Real love stories are inspiring and worth of emulation. There are some love stories that last a lifetime. There are some love stories that last several months, or several years. And sometimes, there are love stories that only last a few months, maybe over a summer or a vacation. But what’s important to remember: these are all love stories, no matter the duration. Short love stories are great love stories, too. We should never take any love story for granted.