Dear Boyfriend,
I’ll be honest, the day we met was probably not the most glamorous of meetings. There were no instant fireworks as we made eye contact for the first time, no heart hammering out of my chest, and no cheesy saxophone solo in the background. Perhaps, that’s because we were seated next to each other in a Philosophy 101 course on a miserable Wednesday afternoon. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that you weren’t wearing shoes, your hair was almost twice as long as mine, and you were wearing a paint-splattered t-shirt. At the time, none of that screamed “BEST FRIEND MATERIAL,” much less “BOYFRIEND MATERIAL.” If anything, it screamed “I NEED A SHOWER.” I apologize for my Freshman mistake. Thanks for showing me how wrong I was. Actually, there’s a lot I have to thank you for from the past two and a half years. There’s bound to be something that I leave out, but I hope this can get my point across.
1. Thank you for saying hi.
Back then, I didn’t know how incredibly shy you can be. I know this definitely took a lot of guts and maybe even a little disregard for your own sense of self-preservation to reach out and say hello to me. If you hadn’t stuck your neck out and done that, I have no idea if we’d be where we are. What I do know is that I wouldn’t have had nearly the same amount of laughs or doodle notes that semester.
2. Thank you for showing me Game of Thrones.
I had no idea that GoT existed until I got to college. Thank you for introducing me into the beautiful, horrible world of Westeros, and for staying up to ridiculous hours of the morning speculating what will happen next season.
3. Thank you for kicking my butt when I need it.
Sometimes I’m really a pain. Sorry. You always know how to get me out of my funks and motivate me to do whatever it is that I’m procrastinating doing, whether it’s homework, laundry, or even just getting my butt out of bed and putting on pants.
4. Thank you for helping me reach things on the top shelf.
And for always putting things like peanut butter and nutella where I can reach them.
5. Thank you for holding my hand.
I mean this one literally and figuratively. You’ve always been there for me, whether it was for me to grab your hand in excitement, fear, sadness, or weariness. You’ve always squeezed back. I really appreciate it.
6. Thank you for scolding me.
Let’s face it, I’ve done some dumb stuff. Not only have I done some dumb stuff, but also I was hard headed about it afterwards. Thank you for never being afraid of my temper and for telling me straight up when I’ve been stupid. The tough love means a lot.
7. Thank you for our adventures.
The big ones and the small ones. You’re the first person to ever ask me to go stargazing, and kayaking in New York is pretty fun, too, as long as I’m with you. I’d follow you anywhere. Let’s go on an adventure.
8. Thank you for admitting when you’re wrong.
Thank you for not letting pride, stubbornness or some concept of delicate masculinity prevent you from admitting you’re wrong on some stuff.
9. Thank you for celebrating with me.
It feels amazing to always have someone I can tell my good news to. I know you’re always just as excited as I am about when I bring home an A on a test, publish an article, or paint something that turns out really well. You’re the best cheerleader in the world.
10. Thank you for the IHOP dates.
You know my favorite thing in this world is Breakfast. You’ve always been my Grub Buddy for my 2am pancake cravings, and you know I’m always here for yours.
11. Thank you for taking tons of pictures.
You’re my go-to camera guy. Thank you for never getting mad when I just need like 5 more because my hair was messed up in those 30 you just took.
12. Thank you for always answering my phone calls.
Even when it’s me calling to beg you to please bring me home from class because it’s raining and I forgot my umbrella.
13. Thank you for letting me wear your sweatshirts.
And t-shirts. And boxers. And socks. Basically your entire wardrobe.
14. Thank you for telling me that I’m beautiful every day, even when I’m having one of my low days.
Especially when I’m having one of my low days, I really can’t tell you how much it means to me.
15. Thank you for letting me be a bed hog.
And letting me put my frigid hands and feet on you to restore some kind of sensation to them.
16. Thank you for never pressuring me.
You’ve never, ever asked me to do something I didn’t want to do. You’ve never given me an ultimatum or asked me to push my limits somewhere I wasn’t comfortable going.
17. Thank you for letting me pick a song first when we’re driving somewhere.
And then singing/screaming along with me all the way to the destination, regardless of the odd looks we get from other people at red lights.
18. Thank you for dealing with my seemingly random sessions of tears.
I cry. I cry a lot sometimes. Sometimes I cry for literally no reason. But you’ve never once judged me for it, and I’m so thankful for that.
19. Thank you for always kissing me goodnight.
Even if we had a nasty fight, or have been butting heads all day, you always seek me out to hug and kiss me goodnight. You always make sure we don’t go to sleep angry, and my God, I love you so much for that.
20. Thank you for encouraging me to pursue my dreams.
Even though you don’t always understand my love for teaching or writing, you’ve always had my back every step of the way.
21. Thank you for sticking around.
When we first met, I was dating another guy. You knew this and wanted to be friends anyway. You stood patiently on the sidelines and genuinely tried to be supportive during said relationship. I was stupid and blind, seeing but not fully comprehending how much better you understood me than he did. How you remembered my quirks and favorite music, that I love the sound of rain and watching competitive cooking shows. You were always there when he always refused to be. You were with me through the most difficult time of my life and were there to bring me home from the hospital after it was over. You picked me up after seeing me fall time and time again.
You waited for me for almost 2 years, and you’re still here today. You still notice all my funky quirks, and can read me like a book. And even though neither of us are quite the same as we were back in Philosophy 101, I know one thing that’s still the same and always will be; you’re my very best friend. I’ll stick with you forever. Especially if there’s IHOP and star gazing involved.
With Love,
Your Girlfriend