The lyrics above come from one of my favorite songs from the new musical Waitress. If you haven’t heard the song “You Matter to Me,” I encourage you to give it a listen:

After writing my article last week about love and relationships, and scrolling through my news feed on Valentine’s day and seeing so many adorable couple’s photos, I started to think about people that I love and care about. There are so many people in my life that matter to me, and I am so incredibly thankful for them. There have been years in the past when I have felt super depressed and lonely on Valentine’s day because I didn’t have a significant other, but this year I didn’t mind. There are so many people in my life that I love, and I know they love me back.

See, we all have people that matter to us, whether it be a significant other or not, and I’m sure those people value us every bit as much. I’m sure many people have a spouse or significant other that matters to them, but I currently do not, so recently I have been thinking about all the people in my life that matter to me.

I have my lifelong best friend, whom I go to for everything. I thank God all the time for bringing her into my life, and I don’t know what I would do without her. She matters to me.

I have my amazing friends here at Judson; my original friend group that I found my freshman year, and some newly made education major friends. These guys always have my back, and are always there when I need them. We worship together, laugh, study, and act crazy; they matter to me.

I have my friends back home from high school, and even though it’s challenging to get together when we’re all home on break, I can still text them with an old inside joke and expect a response. They matter to me.

I have my children. Not literally my children of course, but the little ones I take care of. I have been babysitting for almost nine years, and I have been able to watch many children grow up, and it’s awesome to be a part of their lives. They matter to me.

I have my mom, who I quite honestly never thought I would miss so much while away at school. She calls me her clone, which is fitting, because we are almost exactly alike. She’s taught me so much, and deserves the world, which I will probably never be able to give her. She matters to me.

I have my dad, who is helping me get through school, and teaching me about life. From him I learn the important things, like how to change a tire, or fill out tax information. He matters to me.

I have my sister, who may not talk to me a lot while I’m away at school, but is always good to laugh with her when I come home for a visit. She matters to me.

Most importantly, I have Jesus Christ. He lives in my heart where I have asked Him to stay, and will be there forever. He matters most.

As I stated in my last article, I can’t wait to meet the man that God has in store for me, but I don’t need one to tell me that I matter. I know I matter to all these people, and because of that, there’s plenty of love in my life. And whether you know it or not, “I promise you do, you matter too.”