Homecoming is one of the best nights of the school year; you get to dress up and look pretty, take cute pictures, and dance the night away. And my favorite part is being able to do that with my boyfriend, Ayden. We don't have to be doing anything special or out of the ordinary for me to love spending time with him, but it is a nice treat to get dressed up and go out.
This year, we made so many memories at HOCO. Was it sort of crazy? Yes! Was it a bit unplanned....sort of. But I'm thankful for the fun we were able to have and the cute pictures we were able to take.
I had a race the morning of homecoming (which was about 3 hours away, by the way). That made things slightly stressful as we rushed home in time to get all dolled up. (It worked out, though. Don't worry :)) The race itself didn't go as well as any of us had hoped, so that heightened the emotions of an already busy day. We made it home with plenty of time to get ready, and I began anticipating the exciting night ahead.
And then....I find out last minute that Ayden made reservations for our dads to join us for dinner.
I'll admit, my initial reaction was not the most patient. I was disappointed we weren't eating dinner alone, but at this point, there was nothing left to do except stay positive and embrace every moment, even if it wasn't as I had envisioned in my head.
Before that, though, I had a blast getting ready with my mom! We don't usually get to do this, and so I loved being able to do my hair, makeup, and get dressed up with her. After I got all fancy, we headed over to Ayden's house for his reaction and pictures. I absolutely love taking pictures with Ayden, and all of the photos turned out so so so good. We always get a good laugh during our mini photoshoots, and I think that some of the pictures we took this year truly capture the dynamic of our relationship.
After pictures, we headed to Abuelos for dinner. We had some delicious food and plenty of laughs. While we weren't alone, it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated and we actually had a lot of fun. Besides, it's always nice to have time with our families.
Once we finished eating, it was time for the main event: the dance! We ran around taking pictures, chatting with all our friends, and dancing to the music - even if we aren't very good dancers! It was a fun night, and we enjoyed every moment we had together.
But, our night wasn't completely perfect. Unfortunately, we ended the night with a bit of miscommunication and misunderstanding. I share this, not because it discounts the rest of the great times we had, but because it's the real truth of our night and of relationships in general.
Usually, even the most perfect nights aren't quite as perfect as they may seem in the pictures. Things happen, people miscommunicate and misunderstand, and that's the honest truth of life. People and relationships are imperfect. But those imperfections are what allows you to grow individually and together as a couple. You know the saying, "there's always a rainbow after the rain"? Well, that rings true for relationships. Just like you have to have a little bit of rain to get the rainbow, you have to have a little bit of conflict to get growth.
Ayden and I apologized to each other for the lack of good communication, and we're both committed to learning how to communicate better. We both need to work on understanding each other's point of views, and talking through what we're thinking in high-stress situations. We both have things to work on, just like any other couple, but that doesn't change the fact that we love each other and we're going to fight for each other until Jesus says otherwise.
Just remember: even if your relationship isn't always picture perfect, that's okay - the important thing is that both parties work through conflict and are committed to working together to strengthen the relationship as a whole. It's important to be less focused on what you can get out of it and more on what it takes to become stronger together.
Y'all, I had a great time with Ayden at HOCO 2022!! I'm so thankful for the memories we were able to create and how dedicated we are to working through misunderstandings and disagreement. I pray that this post didn't just share our night, but also reminded you that no night or couple is perfect!
If you have any prayer requests, please leave it down below and I will be sure to pray for you! Or, if you have any other encouragement, related to relationships or otherwise, drop that in the comments below as well so that we can build each other up. :)
Ellie, I loved reading this and thanks for being so honest! It goes a long way to know of and start to begin to understand the not so glamorous parts of life and relationships, you are so wise beyond your years with your advice and perspective here. I know we don't know eachother very well as we've grown up but I love reading these tid bits about your life and I hope you know I'm always cheering you on. I've loved watching you grow into the beautiful and intelligent young lady you are! Always wishing you the best. ❤️ Alisha