Dear Boyfriend,

Every once in a while, when I thank you for yet another great date night or try to make you understand why I'm the luckiest girl alive, you say something like, "I'm just an average guy trying my best to make you happy." Have you ever stopped to consider how infuriating that statement is? As the person who says the most words to you every day, those few words render me speechless because I don't know how to make one of the most incredible people I've ever met realize who they really are.

Of all of the people I've crossed paths with in my life, few have shared my passion for pondering the impossible and digging into the deeper truths of life like you have. The fact that we can sit on the patio of our favorite ice cream place, watch kids wrestle each other, and contemplate the vastness of the universe out loud still makes my heart swell. Not only do we audibly wonder about life's open-ended questions, but we also have our own book club. Just us two. Who does that? Certainly no "average" boyfriend. You mark pages to talk about later, and we relate the book to our own lives. Sure, some people have the ability to talk openly and honestly with each other, but experience what I consider the most honest form of emotion together and have free conversation about it? A rare find.

I'm not totally average either; I live with chronic pain. I've shared that with other people before, but you're the only one who has rubbed my feet literally every time I sit on the couch, wanted to rub my back every second of every day if you could, and call me to make sure I'm laying on my heating pad. You have your issues, too, but you always put mine first. You fearlessly look me in the face and tell me how beautiful you think I am, no matter what is wrong with me, and from that I've learned what may be my most important life lesson to date: if you don't love your body the way it should be loved, someone else will. They will tell you they do, and they'll do anything to make you forget your insecurities for a little while. Does this still sound average to you?

I've had plenty of people who believed in me and my abilities over the years: parents, friends, coaches, teachers. I've also met quite a few people who would rather hold me back. But you get genuinely excited for me when big things happen, and you're always pushing me to try new things or asking me why I won't. My dreams seem to have become yours; you want me to succeed, and believe it or not, that can be hard to come by. You want me to become a better person, and I am becoming one every day because of you.

This article could go on forever. I could talk about how you're mature and wise beyond your years, you stepped up to be the man of the family when needed, you work hard, or how intelligent you are. I could even talk about how you forgave me for sleeping through an entire two and a half hour Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and you came over to make me breakfast the next morning, but that would be redundant. The point I'm trying to make is that everything you do for me that you see as "average" is totally beyond normal, but so touching and wonderful. If this is just "average" for you, then I'm not sure I ever need to see "above and beyond"; I'm already spoiled enough.

Love,

Girlfriend