I cried Lauren Conrad-mascara-tears as I watched Drake deliver Rihanna's Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs on Sunday. Full disclosure: I have been team AubRih since "What's My Name?" came out in 2010. But on Sunday, when Drake dropped the line, "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old," my heart exploded. And then it exploded again when Rihanna dabbed.
As I watched my generation's purest love story finally unfold, I wondered why it took Rihanna six years to give Drake a chance. I mean, he is Drake after all, and his love for her seems as deep-rooted as my love for peanut butter. (Very deep.) But I finally figured it out. Rihanna was focusing on herself, and she probably knew real love would wait.
Though I've been relatively fortunate in my relationships, in that I have never suffered physical abuse or had my personal life scrutinized by millions of people, I have had my share of mistreatment. One ex left me for his best girl friend, another one cheated on me, and guys on dating apps often start off a conversation with "send pix" instead of a friendly "hello." And yet after all of this, I still find myself doing the same things I've always done and just hoping to find someone who will treat me better.
Rihanna, on the other hand, has been through hell with men—her experience with Chris Brown was horrific. But instead of jumping into another relationship for comfort after her very public breakup, she took time for herself and focused on her music. It clearly paid off, because she's (to again quote Drake) "a living, breathing legend in our industry." And if Drake was really the one, he would be there when she was ready. And he was. That right there flipped my deranged perspective right on its head.
