I have recently diagnosed myself as a Humanus artis amandis, more commonly known as a Hopeless Romantic. individuals of this nature are often to be found with their nose stuck in a romance novel and a cup of half drunken coffee or tea sitting beside them getting cold as they lose themselves in the unraveling story of eros they long for. They sit alone in dark apartments with their television lending them the only light. They watch as Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks fall in love while they believe they despise each other. Audrey Hepburn evolves into the fairest lady of them all, and they feel a shiver down their spine. They hum along as Maria and Captain Von Trapp sing their way into each others' hearts. They wipe away a tear as Wesley fights for Princess Buttercup, and they go through an entire box of tissue with every letter that Holly receives from Gerry. They desire a Noah or a Jamie of their own. Someone to save them. Save them from the world. From themselves. They write poetry and play the guitar softly into the night, and the loving words they wish to share with another flow from their lips.
What's so wrong with that? you might inquire. Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong with it. These are some of the most beautiful people you will ever meet. They can teach you so much, if you let them. Indulge their fantasies every now and again. Watch a Disney movie with them. They'll remind you of the childhood you never knew you missed so much. Listen as they tell you of the four hundred page book they just finished in less then twenty four hours. Their bright, excited eyes and raging imagination will surely leave you unable to wipe the smile from your face. They enrich you and open you up with each song they sing, each story they share, each tear they shed.
So, do not mock them as they weep when you pass a dog in the rain with seemingly no home. Do not laugh when they come up with ideas that seem, to you, a realist, impractical. Do not shrug off their affections. Instead, give them more. Hold them tightly. Make them laugh, kiss them, brush away their tears. Being categorized with this lovely group of people has taught me many things, yet there is one lesson that has stuck with me more strongly than any of the others: Although these "Hopeless Romantics" are often laughing, smiling, singing, lifting everyone up around them, they can be very lonely. They, we, set standards that are unattainable by many. They long for a fairytale ending that sadly, many never receive in this cold, hard world.
What I have to say to you, the down-to-earth pragmatical mortal that has fallen for this whimsical creature, is hold on. Hold on with all the might, all the power, all the love you can possibly muster up and don't let go. For many of us, that is all we ask from you. If you choose to love us (and cause us to fall in love with you), do not leave us in the dust, like we have been left so many times before. Because we love so strongly, the hurt we feel when that love has shattered is unbearably strong as well.
If you can put in any effort at all, you can make a Romantic happy. They do not seek perfection. They want you to try. They are more excited by the smallest of sincere gestures than you will ever fathom. Listen to them rant about their strange imaginings and heartfelt yearnings. Find the most romantic compartment of your brain and put it furiously to work. Nothing you do for them will be found stupid or inadequate in their eyes. They adore you for trying and showing them how you feel. Do not be afraid to open up. Opening to them will enrich both you personally and your relationship with them in ways unimaginable.
If you find a lover with a wild imagination and an even wilder heart, strap yourself in and be prepared for a journey like no other. It will change you in ways that nothing else ever could or ever will again. Don't be afraid of letting yourself have your own fairytale. If you get lucky, the two of you may even end up riding in a horse drawn carriage in the pouring rain while "My Heart Will Go On" plays in the background. Trust me, they'd eat that one up.
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