Dear Jonah,
We recently celebrated two years together (and 2016 makes eight years of knowing each other). With our anniversary came lots of self-reflection on my part, as I realized how immensely grateful I am to have such a supportive companion. I have so many things to be grateful for, and you are one of them. Sometimes I feel like I don't give you the credit you deserve, that I don't remind you enough of your own importance to me and to others.
Thank you for valuing me. I always appreciate a good intellectual conversation, and I especially appreciate them with you. I also appreciate that you value my opinion and think my ideas are important. You recognize my own worth and only boost me up. You remind me that I'm intelligent and ambitious and can do anything I set my mind to. In more ways than one, you are my biggest supporter. I love that you never try to discourage my dreams. You help me make things happen, dear, because you believe in me.
Thank you for making me laugh. Let's face it: my joke-telling skills are not the best. I might as well direct you to the Dad Jokes Subreddit. I am glad you are able to come to my rescue and make me laugh until my stomach hurts. I am so happy that you are able to maintain a sense of humor even through the toughest trials. It's encouraging. I love that you laugh at me sometimes, even when I am not funny. It shows support for my comedy efforts (though Comedy Central would be unlikely to give me the same kind of support). I appreciate your big smile and your laugh that echoes across a room. Your laugh is infectious. Your smile is all mine.
Thank you for making time for me. Being in a relationship is not about going on the most dates, or spending hundreds of dollars on extravagant gifts (though that would be nice). It's about spending quality time together and cherishing the little moments. I love that we are both too cheap to go out, so we save money by usually staying in. We watch "Parks and Recreation" on Netflix, or we make slow-cooked chicken teriyaki and fried rice together. We go swimming during the summer. We ride bikes when I'm not being lazy. We talk about our mutual interests for hours on end: computer hardware, cars, astronomy, prog rock. We talk about our future house. Sometimes we don't talk at all. We lay next to each other, enjoying the other's presence. You work a hectic job schedule to save for school, and you go to a college that is almost an hour away from my own, but you make time for me anyway.
Perhaps most importantly, thank you for loving me. This might seem a bit silly - we are in a relationship, after all - but you have seen me at my worst. You have experienced my emotional breakdowns, my ugly crying and my ridiculous mood swings. You have put up with my often changing mind (bangs or no bangs?), and you have experienced my super-studious-ignoring-everyone tendencies throughout our semesters of college. You have been there for me when I needed you the most, and I am so glad you loved me despite me. After two years you still love me, which is unbelievable.
You are my boyfriend, my biggest supporter, my constant companion and my partner-in-crime. Mostly, though, you are my best friend in the whole wide world. I have never been this in love before, and I am thankful for you every day. Each moment with you is a blessing to me. I am one lucky gal.
All my love,
Bree
