IT’S TWILIGHT WEEEEEEK!I was on a trail run recently when I started pondering the complexities of life. I felt gratitude for where I am today and thought of those who had a part in forming who I have become.
OK, I’m talking ex-boyfriends. It sounded better when I sugar-coated it.
I’m really not one to dwell on the past. I have 30 wonderful years of pre-marriage memories but I truly am happy as a married woman. I did not have my first serious boyfriend until my freshman year of college and we were together five years. After that, great guys came and went. I traveled the world with them and they become intrinsically connected to my love of the mountains as Southern Utah’s deserts became our balm.
In my mid-20s, I met someone who would weave in and out of my life for the next several years. He was different. He was tall, dark, handsome, athletic, successful and passionate. Many people didn’t “get” him because his prose was of another generation and his intensity made them nervous. I was swept up in another world whenever we were together.
But we were different. Really different. We had divergent goals and religious affiliations. Things I valued. Things I wanted. When the bridge would seem too big to cross, we would break up, only to gradually find our way back together again.
He was my Edward.
In Twilight, Edward Cullin is beautiful, intense, passionate and protective. But as a vampire, he is also unattainable. Mere mortal Bella fell for him–who wouldn’t? He was every girl’s dream and that’s why we have all fallen hard for him. They broke up over the impossibility of the situation but in the end, surmised they could not live without each other.
Then there are the Mike Newtons of the world. Those good guys on the sidelines who vie for our affections but–as much as we want to–we can never love them in that way. I had a few Mikes over the years and they still remain a cherished part of my life.
At last, there is Jacob Black. Sweet, funny, a ray of sunshine and loving. He would have given Bella the life she deserved, not the life she sacrificed everything to live with Edward. Sure, author Stephanie Meyer made Bella’s transformation into a vampire coven seem desirable and idealistic. But she gave up the very core of her being to be with him. And how does that often turn out in the real world?
It’s called divorce.
When I met my husband, I was still tangled up in the Edward web and was trying to break free. Jamie was supportive, patient, sweet, grounded, wise and loving. Most importantly, he shared my same goals and I knew I would be able to live out my dreams with him.
My “Edward” and “Jacob” proposed to me the same week and even “Mike” came out of the woodwork at the last minute.
In the end, I chose Jacob.
I have never faltered in my decision. Though I felt very connected to Edward and cherished Mike, we never would have been able to make each other happy. So, today I am declaring myself a member of Team Jacob.
Well, at least in the real world. 
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 