Summer Love Stories: Senior Summer & Strawberry Wine

At my senior prom, the mournful sounds of Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine" floated through the ballroom the prom committee had painstakingly decorated with tin foil stars and blue crepe paper. I was seventeen with a July birthday and Daniel and I were like, so in love. In my romanticized teenage head, it was definitely a sign. As I swayed awkwardly to the tune with Daniel, I knew that this was our song. I also knew that there was no way Daniel and I would every grow apart. If Deana had had any gumption at all, there would have been more than "a few cards and letters and one long distance call".

With graduation fast approaching, and Daniel and I 'official', we looked forward to a long summer of parties and picnics. Being young and sweet, I looked forward to long walks and hand holding. What neither of us looked forward to was work. Unfortunately, both our plans changed with the realization that college was expensive and mom and dad were not picking up the tab anymore. Summer was nice, but a big dose of reality was coming our way in September.

We saw each other throughout that summer, and both of us talked about that scary relationship topic . . . the future. Fortunately, we both had it all figured out, and we knew that there was no way that work, school, and life would get in the way of our happily ever after plan. Secure in this knowledge, every date was dreamy. You know, not in that 'real-life' kind of way, but in that lazy summertime, sigh-inducing first love, kind of a way. Even so, it seemed like no sooner had we tossed our caps into the air, than it was August and we were off to school. Though only a few hundred miles apart it may as well have been thousands. A few cards and emails, and no long distance calls (Daniel was notoriously cheap), and the forever love fizzled.

The next time I saw Daniel, he had been married a few years. She is very nice and I am happy for them. In fact, all that fuzzy summertime love seems a little misplaced looking back. Summer love makes for great music and good memories, but a lot of time that is all it is good for. "Real-life" love may not be as cushy and cocooned, but it can have a much more lasting effect.