Learn your Lesson

"Have you learned your lesson yet?" My mother asked me

As I sat, crying, on the ground

Two skinned knees, a torn shirt, and a cut forehead was all I had to show for my latest adventure

"Haven't you learned to keep your feet on the ground?" she demanded

I hadn't.

In my mind, I belonged up in the sky with the birds

(That's why I'd climbed up the tree)

That was always the thing with me; I never learned my lesson

No matter how many times I failed

How many bruised limbs or bleeding cuts

I still would try again

I wouldn't quit softball, even after it broke my arm

I wouldn't stop eating strawberries, even though the doctor said I was allergic

(I probably was. I don't care. Strawberries are delicious)

And I wouldn't quit falling in love

Even though I got my heart broken each and every time

There was Amanda in middle school, who dumped me after she decided she wanted to date a soccer player instead

There was Karina in high school who moved away

There was Timothy and Alexandar and Carson, who all just 'weren't the relationship type. Sorry.'

There was Jacob, who cheated on my with someone who I thought was my friend.

But no matter how many times I got hurt, no matter if they cracked my heart a little or stomped it into the dirt

I didn't learn my lesson

I knew that someday, I'd hit a home run

Someday, I'd be able to finish my strawberry shortcake

And someday, I would get married

And my heart would never break again

I dated Benjamin in college, and had a messy breakup

I was with Rebecca for two years, until she decided we were "in different places"

But then, there was Kate

I fell in love with her just like I did with the rest

Fast and hard and not looking down

(coincidentally, I fell out of the tree the same way)

But with Kate, I never hit the ground

I flew

And she was right there flying beside me

You see, Kate never learned her lesson either

She has as many scars as I do, and even more stories to go along with them

She never gives up

And never gives up on me

She's my soulmate

My other half

All the cheesy cliches that you're supposed to give up on because they're 'just fairy tales' and 'will never come true'

But I never learned that lesson

I never gave up on love

And love never gave up on me

I did it

I got married

To the love of my life,

my best friend,

my Kate

And the happiness of our wedding day

And every other day I've spent with her

Makes every bruise and bump

Every broken bone and scrape

Worth it

So I guess I did finally learn my lesson

"Never give up"