crazy.stupid.love

If you haven't seen this movie yet, it's a must! (You'll be proud to know that neither Brit or myself shed a single tear). There's one part in there where Steve Carroll is talking to his 13 year-old son. The boy is a romantic but had his heart broken so he's spouting off a bunch of negative things that Steve knows he doesn't believe so he calls him out on it. It made me think of what I would say to my own 13 year-old self, knowing what I know now....

"i should have fought for you"

I think I'd tell her she doesn't date as much as she thought she would in high school, but she has a blast anyways and doesn't regret a minute of it. I'd warn her that she has a terrible night with somebody she should have trusted that scars her for many years. But she'd be happy to know that she uses it for good later. I'd tell her to always keep thinking things are "cute" even when her friends laugh about it. I'd relieve her favorite date to her over and over and over again. Beaming, every single time. I wouldn't tell her how to kiss, but tell her that she laughs trying to learn. I'd tell her she gets to know some amazing people! She doesn't know that some of them turn out to be not-so-great as we thought they were, but that we learn a lot about life and ourself through them, so they're important anyways. I'd tell her to be grateful everyday that her parents never let her grow up too fast. I'd sit and cry with her on the bathroom of her apartment, the night of her first honest heart break. I'd even hold her hair when she starts to throw up. She'd laugh when I tell her about her first kiss. Really really laugh.

I'd tell her that she has a few too many sad wake up calls that life isn't a fairytale, but that she loves it all the same. I don't think she'd be too surprised to hear that she has trust issues. She'd be glad to know that once people are in, they're in! And that they probably mean the world to her. I'd tell her that she'll doubt it for a while, but she still wants to be a wife and mom more than anything in the world. She still believes in true love. She has crazy, sappy day dreams sometimes about finding a boy that sends her flowers and comes over to surprise her when he knows she's having a bad day. She still hopes for a boy that opens her door and call sher for no reason at all. She'll laugh when she tears up when a boy calls her beautfiul instead of 'hot' or 'sexy'. She'll still believe in the boy that makes her laugh and loves to travel. The boy that likes to take walks but still go for drives.

Dont' worry 13 year-old Chantel...life has some crazy curveballs headed your way and even though there are MANY times you don't believe it, you'll realize one day that you still believe in that Crazy, Stupid, LOVE