The season of giving and thankfulness is upon us, and I've been spending a lot of time thinking about the things that I appreciate most in my life. I have realized that I have taken a lot of things for granted in my life. I have not taken the time to fully appreciate every bad relationship and every fuckboy that has ever crossed my path, so I'll do that now so that everyone receives appropriate recognition.

Dating is an important part of life, much like making friends throughout our years at school, it teaches us the things that we do and do not like about relationships. Dating can also help us realize what healthy and unhealthy habits in relationships are. Maybe our generation doesn't "do dating right", but the people that say that obviously have certain standards that they look for in a relationship. Just because you want different things than other people, doesn't mean that you have, or are going to have, better or worse relationships than other people.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank every single boy that has entered and then proceeded to leave my life. I say boy because most of you aren't men or even close to it. Without all of you, I would not be the strong independent woman that I am today. I would not have the high standards for the future, and current, men in my life that I do. You may have hurt me at the time, but I know now what real relationships and affection are. I know now that what I thought were "feelings" are not what true feelings are. I'm not sure If I can describe what I felt, perhaps loneliness, or the rush that comes with someone wanting you, or I guess faking that they want you.

Without any of you, I would not know what a healthy relationships, and my checklist for "Mr. Right" would be pretty small and useless. I know now that if a man wants you, and truly needs you, he will make an effort to keep you. I have learned that relationships are two-way streets, and both people must be walking towards each other. They can't be walking away from each other, and one cannot be chasing the other. Thank you because I will no longer allow someone to walk all over me and use my affection as some sort of placeholder.

Thanks to you, I now know my full worth and what kind of affection and treatment I deserve. I know that I am worth much more than a single text message every day, and I know that I am worth more than flowers because you made a mistake, or because I made you go buy something for me. I know that a person who truly appreciates me will not drop me in the dumpster before the holidays or my birthday to avoid buying a present. The man who is worthy of me will put thought into the gifts that he gets me, and will always put my feelings first. He will communicate with me without fear, and I will be comfortable doing the same. The man I want will understand that I want to be with him, but I also have my own life to live and my own ambitions to chase.

Maybe I still have a lot to learn and maybe I still have a lot of mistakes to make, but that's okay. I will know when I reach that point and when I meet that man. Maybe I am already there, only God knows. Just know that I'm thankful for you, I hate you, but I'm glad you entered my life for however long you did.