Lost and Found

You and I were the same growing up. We walked in each other's shoes, wore the same clothes, we even did our hair the same way.
I really didn't think there was a time we would ever be apart. I remember you reading your teen crush magazines, singing and dancing to your favorite bands. Playing M.A.S.H. with your friends, and swearing one day you were going to marry A.J. from the Backstreet Boys. You were so innocent and carefree in those days. Boys had cooties… Until one day, they didn't.

Around high-school was when things started to change. You had your first bully, teasing you for not developing as quickly as the other girls. She had no problem in that department, which helped give her the title of the most popular girl in school. She played horrible pranks, spread nasty rumors to other classmates, and made sure it was hard for you to find any real friends. That was the first time I noticed your distance from me. I was confused at why you pushed me away, because I still thought so highly of you.

Things got even worse after your first love. He was your everything. The both of you made plans to go to the same college, to get married, and then to have your own family. You wanted one boy, the older sibling, and one girl, for the older brother to protect. Just like your older brother did for you. He wanted both Boys, which you would have been happy with just the same. But then the unthinkable happened, he broke your trust, with the popular girl nonetheless. One last way for her to hurt you before you graduated.

You involved me even less in your life, and after more unfortunate circumstances, you ultimately forgot about me completely. It was as if I had never existed to begin with. You felt it was time to grow up, so I no longer had a place in your life. I never forgot about you though, and always hoped for the day you'd find me, and make me a part of your life again.

You went to college, graduated with a degree, and moved on with your life, but you felt something was lacking. Then several years later, you met him, the one that would ultimately bring us back together. And he accomplished it in the most perfect way. He showed you respect, told you he loved you, and reminded you how amazing you were, every single day. It was quite beautiful to watch, really, because at first, you would smile and politely say thank you when he would tell you those kind words. But deep down inside you really didn't believe them. He knew you didn't either, but that was all the more reason why he made sure to remind you every day. And the best part of it all was that his actions actually matched his words.

And then after some time, we were finally reunited. One early morning you woke up like any other day, showered, got dressed, and went and sat at your vanity. You slid one of the drawers open, rummaging for something to put your hair up with, and there you saw your old ribbon you used to string through your hair. All your childhood memories started to flood back to you. You pulled it out, looked in the mirror, and smiled. For once again, you remembered me, your long-lost self-confidence. And this time, you would never let me go.