here's one to...

I am craving for a beer. I don’t know why. But since I’m on that topic, what would you drink to?

If you could drink to something incredible that is happening in your life right now, at this very moment, what would you drink to?

Well, here goes.

Here’s one to long distance relationships.

I used to be such a critic of long distance relationships, I used to be critical and sarcastic about long distance relationships because I thought they never ever worked out the way you wanted them to. Obviously I was wrong, because things are working out exactly as I want them to. I have her, she has me, we’ve been together for so long now, and it’s been long distance all the way. The future is of course uncertain, but I think I speak for us both when I say that with love and determination, the future will be what you want it to be. She is coming over to where I live next year, after graduating, to look for a job there. Things are working out just fine, and at the risk of sounding silly, I credit it to lots of simple, determined, patient love and her big heart.

In life, if you let it, you will always find a million ways to give up. But if you don’t give up, life won’t give up on you.

2 years ago, I nearly gave up on relationships. Yes, so maybe you would say that I’m only in my 20s, so I am not yet old enough to speak of giving up on relationships. But if I may – I don’t think it’s the age that counts. It’s the experience, isn’t it?

Anyway, 2 years ago, I had a horrible relationship with some girl. It was truly horrendous. I think I was being abused emotionally and verbally, but I was never certain. It’s funny, if you really knew me, because I don’t look like I can be bullied or abused emotionally and verbally. But trust me, I was. I think that girl I was with then could do with some therapy sessions, if you know what I mean. She could find any reason in the world to get mad with me every single day. In the simplest conversations, she could find something that would prove infidelity. And I was never unfaithful to her. it was an everyday thing, and over time, I got tired. Her temper was fucking horrible, trust me on that. The smallest things would set her off, then her shouting would begin. In the midst of her shouting would be the most incredulous decision-making sessions that she would force me to choose. The words she used were words you would never use on the one you love, no matter how mad you are at them.

So I finally made the right decision for myself and I left her. To be honest, that was the happiest time of my life. Leaving her and getting on with my life without any abuse.

After that truly horrendous relationship, I was cynical. Totally cynical and jaded when it came to love and relationships. In other words, I gave up on love and relationships. I gave up on the notion that there could be a forever with a certain girl, because hell, my past relationship said something, didn’t it?

Anyway, what comes next is the basic love story material. I got to know my girl, fell in love with her, and voila, we’ve been together ever since.

But what is important isn’t that. What is important is that though I was with her, I didn’t see a forever. I didn’t believe in a forever, because I was cynical when it came to that. Then something she said to me a few weeks ago made me realize that I believed in a forever. I was finally believing in a forever, and I was denying it all along. She showed me that a forever was possible, she showed me that a forever with her was possible. That is what is important.

So I guess if I had given up, life would have given up on me. But because I didn’t exactly let life find me a million ways to give up, things worked out.

So here’s one to long distance relationships. Here’s one to life. And here’s one for me, on my behalf, if ever you are drinking and reading this, because I sure could do with one.