To the Love of my Life:
Thank you for loving every version of me. You have seen the brutal, raw versions of me that were anything but glamorous. You didn’t run, you didn’t cower. You loved me harder. You nurtured me and stood by me through my toughest times without one moment of hesitation.
Thank you for making me want to be better. You have always been a selfless and hard-working person, and that has inspired me to strive to be the same way. You are a natural caretaker, and you expect nothing back for it. Thank you for showing me what it means to sacrifice and to fiercely love someone for all the right reasons.
Thank you for always following through on your promises. Thank you for constantly showing me, through words AND actions, what it means to be a dependable and caring person. Thank you for showing me that some men truly DO say what they mean and do what they say. You are a constant and someone that I can count on to be a man of integrity and a man of his word.
Thank you for growing and learning with me. Thank you for not settling. Thank you for knowing that a relationship requires constant work and constant courting of one another. Thank you for loving me through the years and through the changes. Thank you for learning from your mistakes and forgiving me when I needed to learn from mine. Thank you for striving to nurture this relationship constantly and for making our love the biggest priority.
Thank you for your constant support. Thank you for realizing that I don’t always need beautiful words or sweeping gestures. Thank you for the gift of your presence in the moments where I just need you to be there with me: through the happiness, the stress, the confusion, the uncertainty. Thank you for standing by me through each new moment.
Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for caring about the things that I care about. Thank you for laughing with me and for making me laugh at myself. Thank you for being the first person I turn to when I have big news, good or bad. Thank you for being my partner in crime and for the beautiful friendship that makes up the foundation of our love.
Thank you for being my safe harbor. Thank you for being my peace in the middle of the chaos. Thank you for making me feel a sense of calm just by looking in your eyes and being in your arms. Thank you for being my fiercest protector and my biggest source of strength.
Before you, I had so much to learn about life and love. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. I didn’t know if love was even going to be out there for me. Thank you for showing me how beautiful, vivid, and worthwhile being in love with someone can be.
You’re truly so much more than my other half. You’re my better half. You make me want to be a better person. You have introduced me to a life that I only dreamed of, and there will never be enough words to show my gratitude.