My sweet, dearest love,

This week is your 20th birthday. Your short time as a teen will soon be over and the exciting twenties will begin (I'll join you very soon, do not worry). Since this is such a significant time in your life, I have decided to list twenty reasons why I love you. Very fitting, isn't it? I think so. Of course, there are way more than twenty reasons why I love you...the number probably amounts to a couple hundred. The reasons grow each day. But here are twenty of the ones that are often in my mind (in no particular order, each reason has the same amount of weight as another).

1. You are you.

Yes, I know that's cheesy and seems like a cop-out, but I assure you it isn't. You are one of the most sincere, genuine people I know and I can't thank you enough for being exactly who you are with me- nothing more and certainly nothing less.

2. I love your heart.

You have a very kind heart. I saw that very quickly after we started talking. You may claim you are rude and a jerk all you want, but I have seen your heart. And it is pure.

3. You are kind.

Ever since I met you I've seen what a gentleman you can be. You are polite, you are quick to apologize when you say something that I could take offense to (I never have, by the way), and you are gentle with my heart.

4. You are my cheerleader.

You are always the one to believe in me when I don't even believe in myself. In exchange I will always be the same for you. Whenever I am feeling particularly down on myself you tell me, "believe in the me that believes in you." That I can get behind. I can always count on you to make me feel like I am supported and encouraged.

5. You are hilarious.

I could never be attracted to someone that doesn't have a sense of humor. You in particular are hilarious. You have made my cheeks and sides hurt, my eyes fill up with tears from laughing so hard, you know how to make me smile on my darkest days.

6. You are patient.

I'm kind of hard to handle. I am paranoid and ostentatious and unabashed. You wait for me to finish spewing negativity from my mouth and just hug me.

7. You are a good listener.

Sure, I think you might have selective hearing at times, but when I really need you to listen to me, you do. There have been times when I have said, "I need to talk to you," and you've let me call you right there on the spot. That makes my heart so so happy.

8. You are strong.

You have shown me time and time again your immense strength-- not only physical, but emotional. You remind me that I am strong, but there are times when I can only see you being strong. Thank you for that. I say this to myself when I am missing you: without you, I am strong; with you, I am stronger.

9. I love your face.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, all these internal attributes and now I'm going to a physical one. Your smile is my favorite smile in the universe. It's so adorable. Your eyes are gorgeous-- I call them sea glass because they are a blue/green mixture of amazingness. I could stare at your handsome, adorable face forever.

10. I love your hugs.

You love showing physical affection way more than I do, but I am growing to appreciate it more. You commonly say, "I want hugs!" or "I want kisses!", and I am happy to oblige. Your hugs make me feel totally enveloped in your love (and as I am writing this I cannot wait for you to come home and hug me!).

11. You are my best friend.

Honestly, you truly are. You were my friend before I would ever call you my lover. I tell you anything and everything and I never regret it; our conversations are never dull. Whether it be a hilarious conversation that makes my sides hurt or a deep conversation in which we bare our souls to each other, you are indispensable in my life and I want you by my side at all times.

12. Your ambition inspires me.

You are ambitious-- when you set your mind to something you do it. I am likewise, but in the times when I am faltering, you always remind me what we're working towards and I feel better again.

13. You are stubborn.

Okay, this might strike everyone as a little odd, and yes, it is. There are times when I want to scream and wish you were malleable but stubbornness can be a very good thing. How? It ties in with your strength. You know what you want and in this day and age where it is cool to be apathetic, I value that.

14. I love your mind.

You have a beautiful brain. You are creative yet logical, innovative yet steadfast. Sure, you have some moments of stupidity (we all do), but when it comes right down to it you are intelligent. I hardly ever have to explain something to you because chances are you already know about it.

15. Your voice calms me.

I know you say you hate the sound of your own voice, but to me, your voice is music to my ears. It comforts me, makes me feel like I am at home. I could hear you talk for eons and eons, if my time allowed it.

16. You are optimistic.

You are surprisingly optimistic. I like to think I am pretty pessimistic and cynical, but you are almost always the opposite. Sure, you know everything is not sunshine and lollipops, but when I feel like everything is crashing around me, you remind me that everything is indeed not crashing around me, and that I will be okay. You believe in people. I admire that.

17. No matter how I look, you will always say I am beautiful.

I could have a full face of makeup on or none at all and sweaty and gross, but you always tell me I am beautiful. One of our dates was essentially a hike around your campus at the beginning of May (so, hot), and I looked disgusting. I had no makeup on, the crummiest clothes ever (it was a Wednesday so therefore I was losing what little steam I had begun the week with), and we were going up hills. That night you said I looked amazing. I need someone like you who loves me as I am.

18. You love me as I am and accept my flaws.

Early on in our talking stage I told you how I was mentally ill and took medication for it. A couple months later I told you that I am autistic. I fully expected both facts to change your perception of me for the worse-- that is why I kept the autistic thing from you. But do you remember what your reaction was? You said something along the lines of, "that's cool!" I sobbed all night long out of happiness. I am not perfect, but in your eyes I am.

19. We like a lot of the same things.

We bonded over our love for Renaissance fairs for goodness' sake.

20. You are perfect just as you are.

Similarly to how you love me just as I am, I love you just as you are. I would not change a thing about you, because then, would you truly be you? I love everything about you, the good and the bad.

So that's my list. It is long and extensive and my editor might hate me for writing this (sorry ladies!), but I had a good time writing it. So Happy Birthday big wolfie. You mean the world to me.