Miley Cyrus speaks my mind.

Today as I'm on my morning run, Miley Cyrus' voice comes streaming through my iPod headphones. (Admit it, everyone has Miley on their iPod... oh, you don't? Err, yeah, me neither.) And, as the seventeen year old reaches out to her fans with the lyrics, "he's got something special... maybe he could be the one" I can't help but think how many middle school girls (Miley's fan base) are thinking that their boyfriends are "the one". And what does that mean to them, anyway? He could be the one I have my first kiss with behind the bleachers? He could be the one I pass notes with in study hall?

It got me thinking. In six weeks, I'll be marrying my high school sweetheart. We met when I was fourteen years old. Earlier, if you count that he was in my sister's first grade class. We first started talking over instant messenger. But I remember thinking in those first few conversations that he was "the one". And not the one that I would share my first kiss with (I did) or the one I would pass notes with (I did that, too). I was wanting that "he'll put a ring on my finger, we'll cook spaghetti every night, I'll have his babies and we'll grow old together" kind of love. And I got it. Or, I'm getting it.

But how many stories end up like that?

I was a supervisor for an After School Program at the local middle school about four years back. It was one of my all-time favorite jobs (which is really not saying much). I loved that the kids were still a little awkward, but looked to you for all of the answers. I loved that there was still such a thing as "cool". I loved that I was watching so many young girls fall into the magical time of suspecting that every guy is "the one". I watched relationships begin, endure for a few weeks of smiles in the halls and the occasional recess-flirt, then taper off and end with a heartbroken girl and a generally triumphant guy. I felt sorry for the silly girls, but I felt equally blessed by how my life has been different.

I didn't have Miley Cyrus telling me that any guy could be "the one", but I happened to find a guy - the first guy - who would love me in all of the ins and outs of growing up. I found someone who was symbiotic to my personality and dreams. I found someone who was kind, smart, handsome, and better yet, interested in marrying me. That only comes along once or twice in a lifetime.

Maybe I shouldn't have put all of my eggs in one basket, so to speak, when I met my first love. Maybe I should have weighed more of my options. I tried at this, failed, and ran back to the only person I've ever considered being "the one". And every awkward and terrifying growing-up moment has been spent with him. My only real regret from our relationship early on is that I should have kept my eyes open for our first kiss.

I suppose all this can be summed up by saying that I'm lucky. I wouldn't advise my daughter to plan on her first boyfriend being "the one". In fact, I wouldn't advise her to label any relationship as quickly as I did.

In my case, Miley was right. He is truly, undeniably something special.

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