Having recently celebrated an anniversary in our relationship, my thoughts drift to reflect on the year I've spent with my significant other. Everything we've done together, for each other, for our relationship, and for our happiness has made us incredibly strong. Each year only makes my boyfriend and I more filled with the passion, bravery, and devotion to continue building our relationship.

Obviously, there have been the bumps and the ups and downs. It's important to always keep in mind that a successful and happy relationship is not all perfect butterflies and argument-free days.

There are many things I love about my relationship, which includes the arguments we have had, because they have only made it possible for us to understand each other better, in turn, making our relationship stronger and more positive.
One of the things I adore most about our relationship, the thing that has made our relationship better and stronger, is the fact that my boyfriend and I are, additionally, best friends. "Marry your best friend" doesn't mean take your best friend and drag them to Vegas. It means to connect with your significant other in a way that makes you each other's partner, supporter, and number one cheerleader.

I always hate when people say that the two entities should be separated. Why? If you're going to put most of your time into someone, if you're planning on spending the rest of your life with someone, why not be best friends with them? "Significant others are fleeting but best friends are forever" that's pretty decently crap, considering that best friends are normal people like your significant other is, and can leave at any point of time.

Being together, having fun together, being there for each other in ways outside of love is what builds up a relationship. Our main group of friends are both of our mutual friends. We have a few separate friends, but the people we are closest to are the friends we hang out with the most. Yet when we come back from a night with our friends, who do you think we gossip about them with? Each other. We will gossip, share opinions, and tell secrets.

Yet we know that all of this information is locked up safely because best friend significant others are the most trustworthy thing to have.

One of the things I learned from being in a real, loving relationship is that you do not NEED to spend time apart. And why would you need to? Distance does NOT make the heart grown fonder. When you truly love each other, your heart is fond enough. This isn't saying don't give your significant other alone time if they're asking for it, but it's saying don't separate yourself from them for no reason.

If you truly love each other, no matter how much time you spend together, you will continue to love each other no less. When two people have fun together, they don't see a need to spend any time apart.

Having a best friend for a significant other also means having a best friend with you all the time. And you want to know why that's great? Because now you don't have to do things alone that you hate doing alone. So now, not only do you get a shopping buddy, but you also get the most important second opinion since your own opinion is your first and most important opinion.

Something my boyfriend and I love to do together is play video games. Whether we play on two separate computers, something like Overwatch or Blade & Soul. Or we play on one computer, usually horror games for us like Resident Evil, SOMA, Outlast that activity is something we adore experiencing together. When you find out about something cool, you automatically have someone to experience it with. Like a fun amusement park, a cool hiking trail, or a creepy haunted house.

The list can go on and on, but overall, here's to my best friend boyfriend. Thank you for helping me learn more and more about love.