People are skeptical of how much I believe in love that’s only because I do know what it looks like at its best. I know love can turn you into the best version of yourself. I know love has the ability to make you the happiest you’ve ever been. Love has the ability to change whatever type of day you are having. And it is in someone else you find a different version of yourself you can’t help but learn to love like they do.

Maybe I put love on a pedestal. But maybe it deserves to be there.

Maybe I value it too much but I think this society has turned into a place where I love you are words used to get to somewhere or get you something.

The truth is whenever I’ve said those words to someone, my heart has always been beating, every word before or after I fumble and I stutter, nerves overwhelm me but those three words come out clear.

When I say I love you I always mean it.

I still value three words more than most. I still value the emotional parts of relationships without attaching that to something physical. I still believe in old fashion love and that courting and chivalry aren’t something out of date.

I don’t allow technology to change my views or my expectations. Because many things can change over time as we continue to advance and move ahead but old fashion love and actual relationships are something I think past generations got right.

To the person who loves me next…

I don’t know who you are. I don’t know where we will meet. I don’t know if you’re someone I already know and it hasn’t hit me yet if it’s always been you. I don’t know when that moment will come where it both hits us that we are already in too deep.

But of the things I do know about love is, it isn’t something that you force. It isn’t something you expect. Love comes into your life like it’s some thief in the dark suddenly robbing you of sleep and this life you once thought was your own.

When you fall in love you suddenly realize you’ll do whatever you have to, to make it work.

People think falling in love is the hard part. Finding someone who wants to be with you is tricky. In a generation that has taught us about immediate gratification, that isn’t something that goes hand in hand with love. But love isn’t hard.

What is difficult is staying in love. Because you begin to realize love isn’t just three words mumbled at bedtime. Love is choosing someone every single day and doing exactly what you did to get them to keep them.

Love is choosing them if they are there or not. Love is shutting anyone down even though there are moments you’d like to play with the idea of being single.

Love is looking at someone and knowing they are the best thing to ever happen to you.

I don’t know if I know too much about love or if I can say I’m an expert.

But if there’s one thing I know how to do well it’s to love people.

So to the person who loves me next these are the things I can promise you.

I promise you loyalty no matter where we are.

No matter who comes along and tries to challenge me, I’ll always choose you.

I promise effort no matter how hard it might get sometimes.

Because there are some people worth fighting for.

I promise to love you unconditionally no matter how mad you make me. Or how much I might frustrate you.

I promise to always include you in my plans.

To always be honest with you. Honest at where my head is at and if ever my heart changes.

I won’t ever string you along or lead you on.

Because I know what’s it is like to love someone and not have them meet you at a place of honesty.

I promise to never hold my past against you. Because while I’ve been through a lot, it’s taught me most to never treat someone the way others have treated me.

I promise to give as much as I can. You’ll always get 110% of my effort.

But the life I lead is anything solely based on love and a single relationship. The truth is our relationship will never be my only priority. I need you to respect and understand that. Because before there was this relationship was this life I led alone. A life I’m still very proud of.

Just as I’ll support and encourage you, I need you to meet me there too.

Because as indepdentent as I might be the things I look forward to is sharing this life I’ve built for myself with someone else.

I look forward to meeting the person who is special enough to make me not want to be alone.

So to the person who loves me next…

I promise to always fight for you.

To never stop choosing you.

To love you the best I can.

When you get it right love has the ability to change every piece of your life for the better. And when you get it right it has the ability to change every peice of you. I’ve always believed if you want to become the best version of yourself as much as it might scare you fall in love.

But the truth is it’s never a choice. And love never comes when you are ready. The truth it’ll sweep you off your feet before you have time to realize how hard you’ve fallen. And if you are lucky, if you are truly lucky that person you love, decides to love you back and it’s there you’ll find everything that’s good in the eyes of another.

So to the person I end up loving next, I don’t know who you are but I look forward to the day I meet you. I look forward to sharing a life with you. But most of all I look forward to taking your hand and suddenly not fearing love because you’ve taught me not to.