I am certainly not one to come to for relationship advice. In my 20 years on this earth, I have experienced a total of three relationships and more rejections than can be counted on both hands and feet combined. No, this article is not about how to get the perfect man. And no, this article is not about my perfect fairy tale story. Mainly because none of that has happened for me yet. This article is about the one thing that keeps all people, men and women alike, on the board in this strange game of love: hope.

Hold on before you scoff and shake your head in shame, expecting to hear the same thing you’ve heard before. “Oh, there’s other fish in the sea.” “You’ll find him/her someday. Don’t give up yet . . .” Anyone who has gone through a break-up or rejection has heard those lines or something like it when their friends or family try to console them. That’s all they are, lines, lines of bull, to be frank.

All of us have been through different experiences when it comes to finding the “one.” Truth of the matter is, not everyone is destined to find the “one.” I, being ridiculously self-critical and a realist, have been preparing for the scenario that I will never love someone who loves me back equally. I may never marry, I may never have children. Not necessarily by choice, but there is a possibility that it will happen. On the other hand, tomorrow I may find the man of my dreams, be married in a year, and have children soon after. I cannot predict the future, so I have no idea what may happen to me.

I am certain more men and women have experienced worse than I have, but I honestly do believe that I should have given up on the concept of love years ago. My first crush was when I was in seventh grade, I had fallen head over heels for my brother’s best friend at the time. It continued until I was a sophomore in high school. Three years of being in love with the same guy that I knew the entire time would never look at me the same, but I was so determined not to listen to reason that I simply didn’t. After three years, I finally mustered enough courage to tell him that I really liked him and I was wondering if we could have anything past our friendship . . .