Young love. Two words that mean so much to certain people, but are also looked down upon and not taken seriously by adults. Many people believe being in a relationship in high school is insignificant and does not mean as much as relationships later in life. It won’t last, right? Teenagers are too immature and young to know what real love is! Or are they?

Even though high school relationships are not always successful, children still take it seriously, and they should. This “puppy love” is important parts of student’s lives and sometimes shape who they are, especially if they are getting their first glimpse at what love feels like.

A perfect example of a high school relationship gone right is Stephanie Johnson, a teacher at Melissa High School, and her husband’s fairytale story. These two lovebirds met in chemistry class when they were assigned to be partners. The universe was trying to tell them they have great chemistry before they knew they did! “I was really shy and he was so outgoing, so I thought he was weird! He would always ask me these super awkward questions because he wanted to get me out of my shell,” she explained. “We would always talk on the computer. He had a terrible girlfriend and I had a terrible boyfriend so we would always complain to each other.”

So when it gets difficult, some people just choose to give up, right? Well giving up was not even an option for these two. “We started dating the last week of Sophomore year and I ended up moving 100 miles away at the end of that summer, so we had to meet up about once a month.” She told me, which showed me how strong they really were, even at such a young age. “When I found out I was moving, I talked to my friend and did not know what to do because I really liked him. I thought I might love him. I still have our messages on the computer and he would tell me how we would still continue dating because he didn’t care about distance.”

Even though some teenagers do not take their relationships seriously, some do. Do not doubt a strong couple because of age, because the story of these chemistry partners teaches that it is not simply just a waste of time or a distraction. Mrs. Johnson went on to tell me, “I definitely think some relationships in high school should be taken seriously. I think both my husband and I are both the type of people that when we were dating we weren’t doing it just because it was fun. We chose people we could see a future with later down the road.” Their instincts were right because they are now happily married with a beautiful baby girl. Young love truly can turn into something beautiful.