As a millennial, I am doomed to forever live in an era where I don’t understand half of the slang words or most of the idiosyncrasies. I am, unquestionably, a hopeless romantic living in an era of ‘Netflix and chill.’ For me, falling in love is one of the most precious things we can do in our lifetimes. Relationships are to be valued and appreciated, cultivated and respected: they are a treasure. That being said, I don’t understand the millennial mindset. When did snapchat replace falling asleep on the phone? When did watching Netflix become interchangeable with a first date? When did chivalry die and why wasn’t I there to save it?

Divorce rates are so high because we’ve forgotten how to fall in love. We’ve misplaced good intentions with DM’s. We’ve decided to stop making memories and start taking screenshots of text messages. We’ve stopped working for relationships and started treating them as disposable. We are vain. We base our relationship decisions on pictures posted on a Tinder profile and how quickly they text us back. Well, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s time to bring back the romance, it’s time to fall in love, it’s time to teach a new dog some old tricks.

Start with small talk. I want to know you. From your favorite color to your biggest fear. We need to start remembering the little things, because that’s how you show someone you truly care. You get to know them. You ask them questions and you legitimately enjoy listening to the answers. I want you to ask me on a date and to make it clear. I don’t want to “hang out.” I want you to plan something. It’s irrelevant if it’s a hike or a fancy dinner. Put in some effort. Everything comes back to value. It’s so important to value the people you date. If you want a friendship, have that. But if you intend to date, you should do it with an open heart and give it your full attention and effort. If you want it to work, make it work. People are not disposable. We are all wonderful, charming, unique and a little crazy in our own ways. Human beings were designed to enjoy each other’s company, not just each other's bodies.

I want the kind of love that is unforgettable. I want someone who sees how much I love them and reciprocates that. I want an equal, beautiful, unbelievable kind of love. The kind of love that involves opening doors and pulling out chairs. I want you to challenge me. Don’t agree with me when I’m wrong. Push me to be better. Show up with flowers. Let me surprise you with stupid presents and random food. Appreciate me. Tell me I’m beautiful. Pick me up. Dance with me in the middle of a room when there’s no music on. Love isn’t something you watch in the movies, though. Keep that in mind. I will never ask that you be perfect, just that when you look at me I can feel your love. I don’t need a text message every second of every day. I don’t need to be in your profile picture. I need you to show me, not the world, that I am all you’ll ever need. We need to stop caring how many likes our post got and start remembering how much joy we had in that moment. I want to fall asleep looking at pictures of us together because that’s a surefire way to make me smile. Make me laugh. Love me. It’s simple.

I am a romantic. I believe in dating and butterflies before the first kiss. I believe in falling in love.