When it comes to first love, there is a sense of enchantment that many will never forget.
The excitement, nerves, and overwhelming emotions are unlike anything else and often make us feel like we are part of a romantic fairy tale or at least a story that only we understand. Some say that your first love imprints itself on your heart in a way that no other relationship can.
Maybe it’s because of the innocence and excitement that accompanies “first” young love, or maybe it’s because of the undeniable passion that often clouds all reason. Whatever the reason, first love leaves a mark—one that can rarely be erased, no matter how much time passes.
And while some are lucky enough to hold on to that first love and watch it grow into a lasting relationship, most people look back on it as a chapter in their lives—a sweet, if bittersweet, memory they cherish. For others, the story of their first love is one of regret, missed chances, or perhaps lingering hurt. Here we have collected some fascinating stories that showcase the powerful grip of first love. These stories will transport you back to the early days of romance and all its wonder, pain, and nostalgia. Whether it’s love letters thrown aside, childhood love that never quite faded, or chance encounters that sometimes give love a second try, each story captures the magic of that first, unforgettable feeling.
They say that first love is the most sincere. Some people are lucky enough to establish a lifelong relationship from their youth, for others it is just a pleasant memory. In any case, stories of initial butterflies in the stomach are inevitably riveting.
When I was five years old, I attended a summer camp.
A boy who was about three years older than me did martial arts. And one day right before bed he managed to get past the counselors, opened the door to our room, and threw me a note. The girls gathered around me and urged me to read it out loud.
At that moment I understood that sharing what was communicated to me directly with others would be unattractive. Then I committed one of the most embarrassing acts of my life. I tore up the note and put it under the mattress so no one would take it. Its contents were never revealed to me. © ADME/Kseniya_m
We were thirteen. We both came from poor families. Our parents tried everything to keep us apart because they didn’t like us dating. We hated everyone and everything except one. The first person I ever told I loved them was her. For over six months we spent every moment we could together. Making out, hugging, and holding hands
Then one day her parents decided she would move to New Hampshire to live with her aunt. I was informed about an hour before her departure. Her aunt eventually changed the phone number she left for me. In my thirteen years of life, I have lost the only person I have ever loved.
I’ve been looking for her on the internet for years.
The best you could hope for was to come across her AIM account before social media. After a while, I started looking for people her age from New Hampshire on MySpace. I wrote to them one by one to see if they knew the girl. For a while, I didn’t get any answers or they never heard from her.
Then, surprisingly, one day her new boyfriend replied and put me in contact with her. We had a three-month long-distance relationship during which we felt a very strong resurgence of our affections. After that, we didn’t communicate for about five years.
Then we reconnected and decided to set up a meeting. She then told me that I had inadvertently triggered her childhood trauma, that she should avoid talking to me, and that she could no longer be with me. I was 28 when I lost her again. © Reddit/Zerdrone
We had a fight after I started dating a popular boy at school. The next day he acted like he didn’t know me. My heart was breaking but I kept it to myself. I once caught him kissing another woman while walking after class.
Our classmate and this boy’s best friend confronted me as I passed him.
I sobbed into his shoulder as he hugged me. He then asked me to attend a concert that evening. The next morning we arrived at the university as a couple. We ended up dating for four years.
How long ago it was! We are still friends and hang out sometimes. I now consider him an extended family member or cousin. I have no romantic feelings for him, but I adore him as a person who has been in my life for the past twelve years.
He’s dating a really cool girl, but he’s not married. I am lucky to have met him because he has helped me through some incredibly difficult times and has been a significant part of my life for a long time. © Reddit/Forward_Ad6168
My first boyfriend and I dated for two weeks. After his ex showed up, Andy went back to her.
I was depressed. When the mother found out, she remarked, “Trust me, he’ll come back to you.” She offered me lots of tips on how to behave around him in the same environment. I followed her instructions without thinking.
Two months later, he wrote to me: “Let’s meet and talk.” So why not, I thought? At the meeting he apologized, called me a fool, and invited me to come back.
We continued dating for another two years after I forgave him.
And Mom’s advice was very straightforward: build up your confidence and act like I’m not interested.
I had a crush on my classmate. I was just teasing her because I didn’t know how to express what I was feeling.
I ruined everything at graduation with a crude joke. After graduating college and moving elsewhere, I tried unsuccessfully to establish relationships with other women.
I met her when my classmates decided to get together after five years. She looked even more stunning! And in front of everyone, I made the most careless decision of my life: I asked her to marry me. She answered in the affirmative, surprising our classmates even more.
It happened that she too had a deep affection for me. We’re cool now. We got married almost immediately, had two beautiful children, and just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. Every day our mutual love grows. The only thing I regret is the five lost years. © Ideer/Overhead
I had the biggest crush on this guy in high school. He was different than me, even though I was never that interested in dating or boys.
He brought me such joy when he was around and I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I couldn’t bring myself to do anything about my crush because of course I was incredibly shy and embarrassed to be in high school.
I told him through a mutual friend that I really liked him at the end of eighth grade, but he was also really shy, so it was nothing more than everyone knowing we liked each other and calling it a “date.” We moved on to high school the following year and I was still madly in love with him. When things got even more awkward, we sailed away.
I dated this man for two years after he asked me out during my sophomore year. I finally realized that I still feel my love and that the relationship is not working. I told my crush how I felt and ended our relationship. Six years have passed since then. He felt the same way, but we were both held back by the awkwardness of adolescence.
We are getting married and moving in two weeks. I can’t imagine my life without him because I love him so much. © Reddit/nekobecca
When I was a teenager, I fell in love with the most attractive woman in college. I bought her gifts with all my money. On top of that, she was taking advantage of me by dating men who were richer than me. It was hard for me to forget her.
Ten years later she wrote to ask me out. Then I decided to take a closer look at her social media page and came across a photo of her in a wheelchair. It turns out he can no longer walk. She was in a car accident three years ago.
I was furious. After all her rich men dumped her, she was so depressed that she decided to write to her ex-boyfriend. I cut off all contact with her and refused to see her. I’m still angry. © Ideer/Overhead
I dated a boy at school. However, my parents sent me to another city. At first, we wrote to each other, but then everything stopped being fun. I finally arrived in the town where I grew up. “Want to see who your Mike married?” my friend asked.
Of course!
His wife is behind the cash register when we visit the grocery store. “Excuse me, are you Olivia?” she replied tersely, continuing to stare at me.
I recognized you immediately. Your pictures are held by Mike. And a bag full of mail. I read them all; they are really fascinating! Mike protects them all.
How long will you be here I said I was leaving immediately to wait for the bus because I was so embarrassed. With obvious relief, the woman said goodbye to us. © Pikabu/Staloweselo
We loved each other in high school but soon broke up because we were no longer compatible. We didn’t communicate for many years after I left the state and it was a terrible breakup. When my mother brought me a box of my things five years later, one of his old creative writing notebooks was included.
We rekindled our friendship after I messaged him on Facebook asking if he wanted it back. We remain friends to this day, ten years later. © Reddit/MoonMuff
After a year of dating, my first love, my ex-boyfriend, broke up with me. I went through the ordeal of not going out with other guys after our breakup and I suffered because of him so he showed up today and said he was ready to start over. According to something he read, this is a sign that a woman really loves him.
Yes, I suffered greatly. However, I simply closed the door behind him. And then we cried. Even though I still love him, I will find a way to stop feeling it. © Ideer/Overhead
At summer camp I met a girl who eventually became my first love.
Since we were both 13 and she lived an hour away, we had to rely on our mothers to drive us back and forth and spend weekends at each other’s houses. We planned to enjoy time together at camp next summer before we split up as we both start high school next fall.
At summer camp I met a girl who eventually became my first love.
Since we were both 13 and she lived an hour away, we had to rely on our mothers to drive us back and forth and spend weekends at each other’s houses. We planned to enjoy time together at camp next summer before we split up as we both start high school next fall.
We danced to every slow song all night at their farewell dance last night.
Even though I haven’t spoken to her in over 35 years, I still think about her sometimes. © Reddit/StuckInNov1999
In the second grade, I fell in love with a boy named Lan. I decided to make contact. I learned that he has a cat. I didn’t allow cats either. However, I decided to illustrate it to him.
It came out beautifully: I can sketch. I wrote this drawing: “To Lan by Sam.” In any case, I sat back and watched for everyone to return. He found the sketch, examined it, read the signature, then simply crumpled it up.
It goes without saying that I was deeply hurt and all my affection disappeared at that moment. He did a terrible thing with my donation and I worked so hard for it. As a result, I let it go and stopped being compassionate, but I also didn’t hold a grudge.
I experienced my first love when I was in school. According to the laws of this genre, I was a direct student before I met him, but then I lost my head and had no time to learn.
At the end of the year, I found out that a loved one was moving to another city.
I couldn’t forget him for two years and my academics suffered. Through common contact, I unexpectedly found out that he and his family were spending their winter vacation in a ski resort. By some miracle, I convinced my parents to visit the town and hotel after learning their names.
I finally visited him after so many months and he was obviously happy to see me too.
He is now engaged to me and feels that our meeting was purely coincidental. I know everyone is in charge of their own happiness, so let it be. © Ideer/Overhead
My wife is my first love. We started dating when I was sixteen (currently thirty-three). In seven years of marriage, we haven’t had much of an argument. It was ideal. I can’t think of any other way it works. © Reddit/Atari_Ferrari
In the seventh grade, I fell deeply in love with a classmate from art school. I had known him for three years, and because of his wild language I hated and feared him. Then for whatever reason I became addicted. I wanted to tell him at graduation, but he left before I could. Even though I went to his school, I lost my temper there too.
Ten years later I came across him on the internet.
When I first met him, he didn’t look as good as he used to, which was disheartening. I didn’t want to be in a relationship with him either. However, he held me tightly and refused to let go.
After almost two years of dating and wedding planning, we accidentally broke up due to a direct misunderstanding. A mutual friend just told me that he got married shortly after we broke up and divorced shortly after. © Elena Melnikova
First love is a powerful and unforgettable experience that shapes us in ways that we often don’t realize until much later. It is raw, unfiltered, and sometimes painful, yet it is a necessary part of our growth. For some, it’s a bittersweet memory; for others, it’s a defining moment that opens the door to lifelong companionship. These stories reveal the different paths that first love can take – from intense, all-consuming passion to quiet and enduring friendship.
The imprint of a first love lingers long after it’s over, whether it leaves us heartbroken, hopeful, or simply wiser. It teaches us about vulnerability, courage, and sometimes heartbreak, and shows us what we are looking for in relationships and even what we need to grow in ourselves. Even as we move forward, make new connections, and find new loves, these early experiences remain precious fragments of our past, each representing a separate chapter on the journey of love and self-discovery. Whether we hold them lovingly or painfully, first love becomes part of who we are and affects the way we relate to others and ourselves.
First love ultimately reminds us of our ability to feel deeply and honestly. In a way, these stories show that love in all its forms and complexities enriches our lives long after the butterflies have faded. For better or worse, each experience of first love leaves us with a little more understanding of the complexities of our own hearts. And as life goes on, we carry those memories—sometimes as precious memories, other times as valuable lessons—knowing that the journey of love, whether it’s the first or the last, is one that continually shapes and reshapes us.