Dear Childhood Crush,

You probably have no idea how quickly my heart was beating that day you picked chubby, little me to be your partner for a class activity. You probably have no idea how much I begged my mom to let me shop at the Limited Too to impress you. You probably have no idea how many times I wrote my name with yours in my diary.

One fateful day, in my second grade classroom a young, selectively mute me was about to take a seat. Out of nowhere you came in and pulled the chair right out from under me. Immediately, I was falling. I was falling in love as I was falling to the ground.

It should be noted that another significant factor in my decision to love you was your last name. Naturally, at this age as soon as I developed a crush I would imagine my first name with his last. My name is very symmetrical, a fact I was extremely aware of as a young girl. I have nine letters in my first name and seven in my last name. We were destined for true love.

This love only blossomed as the year went on. The day I found out that you knew my name was one for the books. Being an awkwardly tall, painfully silent second-grader, this moment was monumental. Of course my response to your “Hey Elizabeth” probably consisted of a spazzy wave, a silent “hi”, and a spontaneous speed walk in the opposite direction.

I wanted to take a moment to remind you of the various unrecognized acts of flirtation I sent your way. When I put two pink, heart stickers on the valentine that I made for you that was not an accident. In my mind, that clearly meant “I LIKE like you.” When I let you into my “club” it was because my love goggles blinded me from your blatant lack of talent.

Finally, I would like to thank you as you are still my favorite crush of all time. I learned young what Sheryl Crow always knew. The first cut really is the deepest. You will always hold a significant spot in my heart. If only you knew when you stole that chair, that you were stealing my heart.

With love always,

Elizabeth