What did your first love teach you?

Does 15 year old love really count? At that age I thought it was real so I'll go with it. My first love taught me that you can't judge a book by it's cover. Underneath the baggy clothes and rough exterior he had a heart of gold. He was a writer too. Always writing me letters and poetry. He would do anything for me. I know I was young, but I just knew that boy loved me. LOL He always showed it. So I know that when you love someone, you can't just say it. Love is taking action. Love is working together. Of course things didn't work out between us but he taught me to always support my words with my actions.

Now if we fast forward a few years later to senior year in HS…or should this one count as the first? I'll tell you anyway. :) I fell madly in love with a guy that I dated on and off until about sophomore year of college. It was a crazy ride. Our relationship started out great, but it became so unhealthy. There was jealousy and a lack of trust after I moved away to college. I began to learn more about who he was, and some of the issues I wasn't mature enough to process at the time.  The timing was not ideal. I was ready to explore college and he was ready for a long-term committed relationship. That was my first experience with a long distance relationship, and it didn't end well at all. But I did learn that everyone has different needs, and everyone loves differently. And what he needed I couldn't provide for him, and I'm glad I was able to walk away from the situation before it deteriorated even more.