Be prepared to feel like you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks.

Get ready to experience the best and worst things all at once. Be willing to endure the words she says that can go from the most painful and isolating to the most perfect and heavenly. Know that you are fighting an uphill battle. Understand why she guards her heart the way she does. Notice the pain behind her eyes. Admire her strength and conviction. Revel in the moments when she lets you in. Recognize that even though they’re short, those moments mean more than you know.

Watch her try to find herself in the arms of another. Be patient. Drive her home and say good night. Allow her to go while knowing she’s not completely gone.

See her heart get broken. Help her pick up the pieces. Put her to bed after you’ve held her hair back in the bathroom. Watch her disappear into the night. Let her cry long and hard. Hold her close but not too close. Feel her bare her soul. Explain to her it’s not her fault. Promise to keep her safe. Give her time to heal.

Grasp why she needs to make mistakes. Don’t take advantage of the moments when she’s vulnerable. Remind yourself that she’s worth the wait.

Look her in the eyes when she speaks. Listen to her intently. Be there when she needs you the most. Don’t wait for her to ask. Offer her those reasons to trust you. Accept that she’s indecisive. Remember that she is this way for a reason. Avoid letting her down. Provide consistency. Prove your dependability.

Know what makes her smile. Do those things often. Appreciate what she was before you came into her life. Learn about it every chance you get.

Miss her when she’s gone. Miss her before she’s even left. Surrender your heart to everything she is. Remember that her flaws are part of what made you fall this hard. Embrace the moments when you sit together in silence. Never wish for them to end. Believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to.

Fall in love with her dreams.

Tell her she’s good enough. Show her why.

Stay when she shows you the side of her that’s unlikable. Come to understand that it’s when she needs you the most. Flatter her when she tries to look nice. Compliment her when she’s in sweatpants and no makeup. Learn that she’s beautiful no matter what she wears. Hold her gaze when you lie next to her. Let her steal the covers.

Touch her softly with kindness and compassion. Offer your whole self to her. Ready yourself to accept her in every way possible. Apologize when you are wrong. Wait for her to come around. Earn her trust over time. Know it doesn’t happen overnight. Rise to the occasion. Strive to always be the person you wanted her to fall in love with. Memorize her like your favorite song. Think of the days before she came into your life. Acknowledge that she has changed you forever. Welcome the opportunity to love her for as long as she will let you.