I'm afraid to think about my future. I'm not afraid of having a family or having a successful career or continually growing into a better person. I'm afraid to think of the man who will ask me to marry him one day.

I see how hard it is to make marriages work in our society today. I always looked at my parents who have such a strong, pure love. My dad always gives my mom the last shrimp on the plate even though I know he wants it. My mom will convince him she's full when I know she's not. You know it's love when food is involved.

So to the man who will get down on one knee...

Know that my hand will probably be shaking. I'll most likely start crying, and you'll be wondering if it's a good cry or a bad one. (It's a good one.) I'll hopefully say yes and go home to tell my parents, but hopefully they'll already know because you asked my father for his blessing first. I'll stay up all night thinking about my life and how I ended up here, with you. I'll imagine the day we get married more clearly now and the family I know we'll start soon after.

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To the man who will ask for my hand in marriage...

Know that this day is scary for me. I know it's scary for you too — you've been preparing for this day. Thinking about the perfect location, the ring, how to ask my family... how to ask me. While you're down on one knee, asking if I'll spend the rest of my life with you, and I hesitate to answer you, just know it's because every single girl has dreamt of this day for their entire life. They imagine what their wedding will be like starting when they're a little girl. And to me, this day is something I never saw coming because life went by so quickly.

I often found myself telling my parents how I wanted to stay young. I didn't want to rush growing up because I couldn't imagine being someone else's girl. I never liked changed because changed scared me. I always said, "I won't be getting married for at least another 15 years! There is no need to stress about it." Now I'm 22 years old, everyone around me is getting married, and I find myself knowing in my heart that I'm not too far from that day, from my future. I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm grown up and things are changing. When you ask me to marry you, just know that in more ways than one, this day is overwhelming. I don't just start a new chapter with you, but with my entire life.

To the man who plans to make me his wife...

I will be a good wife to you. Please know that. I will love you, protect you, fight for you, die for you, help you, be good to you. I'll give you everything I can manage to give because I know you'll do the same. You'll be my husband, and I'll be your wife. We'll be a team for the first time for us both, and I know we'll be one hell of a team.

To the man who will ask me to marry him one day...

Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the entire world.