lovesick

i'm kind of in love with love right now.

i teach at a school with a very small student body.  news travels fast, especially when it's news of a new on-campus couple.  today i observed the new couple making googly eyes at each other from across the commons, which made me smile and giggle.  the girl glanced in my direction and, assuming an innocent expression, asked, "are you laughing, ms. romney?"  i matched her innocent expression and replied, "me?  never!"  ahhh.  young love.

a brother-o-mine recently started dating a lovely young woman who is in his same student ward in utah.  when he told me the whole story of how he finally mustered up the courage to tell her he liked her, he described the weeks leading up to the fateful first date as being completely and totally miserable.  in his own words, he was "lovesick."  he couldn't eat.  he couldn't sleep.  he couldn't concentrate.  i couldn't help but smile and giggle.  i told him that since i have given him, on more than one occasion, a back stage pass to the drama and insanity that goes on in the female mind when she herself is "lovesick," i will need regular updates.  ahhh.  young love.

for the past four months, mother has been here in texas, undergoing several surgeries to fix the persistent pain in her feet and knees.  father has been in london, working.  to say that they have been missing each other is the understatement of the century.  dad has made several weekend trips back to texas in order to be with mom, and also to prevent his own decline into utter and complete despair being by himself across the pond.  in a weird way, it's been really sweet to see how miserable they are without each other.  ahhh. young-at-heart love.

over the past few months i've had the chance to become better acquainted with a couple from church.  they have quite an amazing love story.  from first meet to marriage proposal?  two weeks.  and they are really quite perfect for each other.  i've enjoyed spending time with them and learning more about how they have made their very different lives fit together for a successful marriage and family.  ahhh.  young-at-heart love.

the past few weeks at school have been tough.  apathetic students, late nights, never-ending assignments to grade.  it's been one headache and four-hours-of-sleep-at-night after another.  but when i have the opportunity to talk with a student one on one to discuss how they can do better and succeed, not just in my classes, but in all of their classes, my heart swells with emotion.  i love my students.  i love being a teacher.

on the drive home from work tonight, this song came on the xm radio.  which reminded me of these two girls.  i love that song.  and i love those two girls.

i watched last night's episode of castle during my "sit and be" time tonight.  and i remembered one of my favorite lines:  "how do you know when you're in love?"  "all the songs make sense."  i love that show.  and i love that line.

so yes.  i'm in love with love right now.  a bit lovesick, if you will.  all the songs don't make sense just yet, but maybe someday soon.