Stay Single Until You Find A Love That Makes You Say, ‘Oh, There You Are’

There’s a moment in the movie Hook when the Lost Boys doubt the identity of Peter Pan.

He can’t fly, he can’t fight, and he can’t crow, because, well, he’s an adult now.

Unable to grasp this newfound adulthood, The Lost Boys are prepared to leave him in the dust. Rufio wants everyone to join his team and leave Peter alone, so he draws a line in the mud and asks his friends to stand with him.

But one of the youngest Lost Boys, Pockets, steps over the line. He brings Peter Pan to his knees and looks at him carefully. Peter is older now, no longer the Lost Boy that they all once knew. But Pockets wants to dig deeper, so he sits there and takes off his glasses. He stretches his face and smooshes his cheeks together, pulling on his skin until his cheeks peel back into a forced smile.

And then he says, “Oh, there you are, Peter.”

It’s a moment of awe.

It’s a moment of beauty.

It’s a look that’s filled with love.

And as this happens, the chaos that is the regular happenings of the Lost Boys is stopped.

They all look to Peter and Pockets in amazement.

Love should feel like that.

And you should stay single until you find a love like that.

You should stay single until you find a love that makes you believe in magic.

You should stay single until you find a love that makes you feel like you can actually hold the things that we cannot see, like admiration, and affection, and amazement. And yes, love.

You should stay single until you can understand what the movies and novels and your grandparents gush about.

You should stay single until your breath stops for a minute.

You should stay single until the world around you becomes a haze of colors and blurry lines and the only clear thing is the face of your beloved.

Love is a gift, and it is one you most certainly deserve. But it doesn’t come on your own schedule. It can sometimes be late to the party, but it is out there for you.

So please don’t settle for a love that doesn’t make you believe.

Please stay single until you find a love that makes you say, “Oh, there you are.”