It was crazy that we started dating after a week of knowing each other. It was crazy that we spent almost every day together from the moment we met. It was crazy that we went to college together. And you know what’s even crazier; the fact that we will be celebrating our four-year anniversary this week. To this day, I’m still not even sure I realize how crazy this whole things sounds.

All I can say is that from the day I met you, I knew I liked you. It was different though, because unlike with guys before, I wasn’t overanalyzing or over-thinking anything with you. I was at a comfortable place in my life and I was just trying to make the most of my last year in high school. I was already committed to play tennis on a scholarship at Northern Colorado, and I knew the chances of finding my Prince Charming during my senior year were pretty slim. But I truly believe it was my contentedness and inner peace that made the beginning of our relationship so special.

You asked me to be your girlfriend after two dates. I could have freaked out and denied your request. However, the thought of saying “no” to you never even crossed my mind, not even once. I liked you and I wanted to get to know you. For me, that was enough to take a leap of faith with my heart. Still to this day, I have absolutely no regrets about how I answered your question.

Remembering the start to everything, the start to us, brings me so many different feelings and emotions. It’s bittersweet to think back on those days when we were just embarking on what would be a journey together; that is really the only way I can describe it. From the day we met, we were a pair. We were inseparable. Any chance we could see each other, we would. I still smile when I think about all the times we met for coffee before school. I also remember the times when I would come over to your house and you would make me Hot Pockets because you were trying to impress me with your cooking skills. And how could I forget all the nights we drove around and ended up at the park just hanging out and talking under the stars? We had so many fun and carefree times. It didn’t take me long to realize how lucky I was to have an amazing love with one heck of a guy.

Fast forward from the year 2011, when we met, to 2015, and one thing is for sure; we’re not the same carefree kids we were back in high school. I am even more short-tempered than I was back then -- can you believe it? And you are more stressed and a little bit meaner. And let’s be honest, when I say meaner, I mean more sarcastic. But I can’t really blame you for that because you definitely got your newfound sass from me. It’s become clear to me that we’re different and our personalities have adapted to the current events in our lives. But at the same time, even with the changes, I still feel we’re mostly the same people we were back then. We’re still that same pair of people. We’re still inseparable. We still spend every chance we can together. And we’re still enjoying each other after four years of bickering and teasing each other.

There were people that judged us from the beginning and didn’t understand how two kids that just met could be so close to each other. People didn’t always understand just how special our relationship was. I thank God that we never let anyone’s doubts change our minds about what we knew to be true in our hearts. Sure, we’ve had our moments and anyone who is close to us knows we have had plenty of fights. They never last long though and they have never broken us. We come back better than ever each time something comes into our relationship and tries to get in the way.

With that, I want to thank you for being mine. I want to thank you for being my best friend. I also want to thank you for being my rock. But most importantly, I want to thank you for loving me at both my best and at my worst. Lord knows I can be a pain in the ass, but you know me better than anyone. And even though you probably already know this, I hope you know that even through all the ups and downs, and through all of the things that may try to break us apart, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.

It is my hope that somewhere out there, some young couple hears our story one day and realizes that it is okay to take a leap of faith. It is okay to let someone in even if the timing isn’t perfect. It’s okay to follow your heart even if it means sacrificing something. If we wouldn’t have, we would have missed out on some of the best times of our lives. Loving you hasn't always been easy but it has always been right. People can call me crazy, or call us crazy, but I believe in loving like crazy and I believe I am crazy about you.