Just a Bracelet

When I was 15 there was a boy I liked. His name was Bart. He probably wasn't as cute as I remember, but love at 15 is strange.

I met this wonder of a boy at a church youth conference. We were at a dance which took place at a college where we were staying. My teenage heart went pitter patter when I met him, danced with him, and walked with him.

He was a bit forward-wanted to kiss in the stairwell. But being the good girl that I was back then, I refused to kiss him. Of course none of the other girls believed me when I told them I didn't kiss him.

I found out he lived in the same town as my older sister whom we adopted. Of course this made visiting her more likely in the future. Lucky for me she had a baby and I went up to help her for a week. During this time she arranged to have dinner with Bart's family. Oh, save my beating heart now--. As teenage love went back then, we went for a walk, tried to get away from his younger siblings, and confessed our unrequited love for each other.

Bart would ride his bike to Becky's house and we would "babysit" Larry. Becky would conveniently have to run to the store. (For those of you who are worried, I had turned the big bad 16 by now). Bart was smooth. His teenage hormones were raging much hotter than mine-and mine were pretty raging.....Ok. Moving on,

At the end of my stay Bart gave me a bracelet. He drew a picture for me, gave me the bracelet and told me he loved me. I accepted the bracelet and went home. I don't even remember if I told my parents about the bracelet. It was probably only a $10-$20 dollar trinket, but at 16 I was enamored that he "loved" me enough to buy me a bracelet.

As the days went on and I was home, reality began to poke it's ugly head. My sister was moving. The Air Force was transferring them. I would not have a place to stay if I went up there. Practicality told me that letters weren't really going to work either. A long distance romance at 16 is a little difficult.

So-I sent the bracelet back. I wrote a note and told Bart that he needed to save the bracelet for someone who would love him for who he was.

I never saw nor heard from Bart again. I was sad, but not as heartbroken as I thought I would be. After all, it was just a bracelet.

Recently I found out my 14 year old bought a girl a bracelet. She lives in Pennsylvania, he lives in Utah. He is going to visit cousins in Pennsylvania and will get to see his "girl".

Not only did he sneak away with friends to spend his first paycheck on this bracelet, he spent over $100 on it.

What do you think? Will she think it's just a bracelet? Or-are those raging teenage hormones going to make the bracelet into something else?