Trust Love One More Time
December 2, 2024
Writer: Emily Carlisle
Editor: Chloe Cardello
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time, and always one more time.”
I discovered this quote by Maya Angelou amidst a late-night Pinterest scroll. While my ever-growing “quotes” board is filled with over five hundred inspirational quotes, poems, and verses, this excerpt immediately resonated with me and continues to linger in the back of my mind. Not only was I deeply impacted by this quote, the first time that I read it was during a period of my life when a series of events began to shift my perspective of love from optimistic to somewhat jaded. Call it divine timing, but I believe this quote found me exactly when I needed it, igniting a spark in the darkness of despair that continued to burn into a self-mantra that has guided my entire mindset and provided comfort through every trial I have faced.
As someone who often finds herself hurt from trusting and loving too easily, I frequently lose hope in the possibility of the “right time” or “right person”; any of my friends could tell you of multiple instances where I have boldly declared that I never want to talk to anyone new, love another boy, or form another friendship. Heartbreak, loss, and disappointment have all been catalysts in my bouts of doubt, leading me to believe that I should just stop trying, stop trusting, stop loving to avoid any more hurt. One particular experience during my first month of college especially caused this change in my mindset, when I found myself hurt by the boy I had deeply trusted. The aftermath of this experience left me feeling wildly disoriented and unworthy, struggling to put back together the pieces of myself I had unintentionally lost during the desperation to receive the same love I poured into him. However, the support I have received from my closest friends has made me realize the abundance of love I already have and will continue to freely give throughout my life. Although vulnerability inevitably causes exposure to hurt, this so-called curse of trusting too quickly allows me to experience life so vividly and richly, and opens countless metaphorical doors to a lifetime of love. Even if sometimes this courage is tentative and fragile, I continue to love again, one more time.
Over time, I have begun to appreciate every single one of life's experiences. Though it was a hard lesson to learn that not everyone placed in my life is meant to stay, each person has served as a landmark in the seasons of my life, marking who I have been and shaping who I will grow to be. No matter how long I have known an individual, I will always remain grateful to them for taking the time to know me, to stop by along their journey when our paths align. Even if it isn’t meant to be, I will continue to love them again, one more time.
Although the path we travel in discovering love is long and winding, filled with bumps and unexpected detours, it’s an undisputed fact that it’s a road worth taking. Finding the courage to trust can be fleeting, and vulnerability is a raw and difficult thing. However, that’s the wonderful thing about love: no matter how many times we are hurt, we continue to love time and time again.
Image: Matilda Taylor
