By Naomi Tamayo
- Your smile
The thing about your smile is that it tells a story worth a million words. It never matters; gummy smiles or crooked ones. Ones that show off your teeth or the ones that are shy and close-lipped. Whatever smile you may have and whatever smile you may grace me with is so uniquely you my breath stills at the very sight.
What I truly love about your smile, though, is how it always shows up whenever you take some time to enjoy the things you like. It’s there when you watch your favorite show or your favorite movie. It’s there while you drown yourself in your favorite book and your favorite games. I see it when you’re talking about the things you care about and how it ever so radiantly shines with the people you love. I see your smile in my thoughts, whenever I think of you, and in everything that makes you happy. Sometimes, I see how you hesitate or how insecure you get over your smile; and then, try as I might, I never fully understand why.
What I see, when I see you, is someone who knows what makes them happy and you should never be ashamed of that.
- Your mind
There is never a moment when I am not astounded by your wonderful mind. It’s been said that there are a bunch of different types of smarts out there. Someone even made a whole chart about it, I think. I read it, and I thought about you, and how I found a little bit of everything in you.
I love the face you make when you answer (or try to answer) math problems. I love the way you focus while writing your essays and I love the way you enjoy yourself when you do the things you’re talented at, the things that make you happy.
Every day, I am in awe of just how intelligent you are.
So smart in your amazing way and no one can tell you differently. Academically, street-wise, smart with people, and about yourself, you leave me speechless every single time.
Not that I only love you because of your smarts, though. Because when I think about it… and I think about it a lot. I think about how truly amazing your mind is. How it holds everything about you that makes you, you. And I think that that’s what I love the most about it; because I’ll gladly take your moments of insanity and your little moments of stupidity— all of it, as long as it is so purely you.
- Your body
This is a hard topic for us sometimes.
But that’s okay.
I understand how you see yourself. I get how hard it can get for you to look at the mirror because you see nothing but every part that you hate about yourself. I hear what people say about you, how they criticize you. It’s not fair— never fair to you. How they comment and how they stare. How it fuels the hatred you have inside of you. The constant badgering of too short, too tall, too fat, too skinny. Afraid to touch your face in case of acne, afraid to see yourself naked in case of any semblance of imperfection. I’m not going to tell you that you should treasure every piece of yourself or that you should try your best to love the things you hate, but maybe it’s time to start accepting those things, at least just a little bit.
Accept them because there are some things we just can’t change.
Accept them because imperfections don’t make you any less of a person. And;
Accept them because you are just as human and as worthy of love, regardless.
Why I put your body as one of the things I love about you, isn’t meant to hint at anything shallow. No, I listed it down here because… I really do know you.
I see how excited you get when you try on clothes you like and how you glow as you pose with them when you style the way it’s just right for you. I know how happy you get when you feel good in your skin and realize how beautiful you are. It’s amazing to see how you are on the days you feel happy with yourself but no less beautiful on the days you aren’t. When I think back to all the other times we’ve talked about this, I think of this thing I read once and how it reminds me so clearly of you.
“You do not have a soul. You are a soul, you have a body.”
I hope you like it.
- The times you mess up
I do put you on a pedestal most of the time, and I take full responsibility for that. But you can’t fault me for believing that you’re akin to perfection no matter what. But then again, I know that that isn’t fair to either of us.
So, I’m going to tell you, right now, about all the times you have messed up. Back during those times when you’ve done something wrong in school or missed out on important events. Those times when you’ve made some pretty bad mistakes and all those times when you’ve felt like you have said all the wrong things.
I love you, despite the times you mess up and I love you because of them. Everything you do and everything you say contributes to how you grow as a person and while it might be so selfish of me to say this, I am so grateful for all the mistakes you’ve made in the past that have made you the person that you are today.
- The ways you cry
This is for your tears of joy. The times you’re filled with such overwhelming happiness you can’t seem to hold it in. The tears for when you’re feeling so golden that even your soul weeps at the sight.
For your tears of sadness. During all the moments when things feel a little bit too much. The moments when nothing seems right, and you get that intense feeling of drowning you desperately need to ease the waves out just to breathe.
Your tears of anger. The times you’ve felt too passionately about something it bursts out of you in extreme emotion. When you lash out, scream and act out; it’s only because you care so much for what you’re fighting about.
I cherish the ways you cry, the times you let go and bare your soul in the purest of ways. I love you, when snot is running down your face, I love you when your voice can’t help but shake, and I love you when you lift your head and get ready to face the new day.
- The times you go a little bit crazy
You don’t like that word much, crazy, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
You’re crazy about the people you care about, crazy about things you’re passionate about, and crazy about all the things you adore to talk about. I love the way you jump off of your seat in excitement and joy. I love how you don’t care how loud you are in public or about the people you annoy. The sparkle embedded within the shallows of your eyes bursts with brightness from the moment you act on the things you love.
- The ways you try
Life isn’t always the best to you and sometimes it’ll throw things at you you’re not quite sure how to handle. But I see how you go through it, how you take what’s handed to you, and I see the way you try—how you always try. When the assignments are too complicated and when the quizzes are too hard, when none of your relationships seem to be working out, and when getting out of bed feels like a hundred tasks too heavy.
I see how you try and I know, I know, I know.
I love you. Thank you for trying.
I’ll be here for you when you ever feel like you need a break.
- How you are with the things you love
I’ve been going on and on about how I love and how I love you, but now I just keep thinking about how you do. I see it, almost all the time. The way you are with the things you love. I see your brightness when you talk about the little things you’re obsessed with. I see the joy in your movements when you do the things you love.
I see how you are with the things you love, with your hobbies and your habits. I see the adoration in your eyes and in your careful movements. I feel how you are with the things you love and I wonder and wonder and wonder how it would feel to be so loved by you back.
- How you are with the people you love
Do you know how many different types of love are out there? There’s platonic love—the one that runs between friendships and has the ability to come in multitudes without you even knowing it. There’s familial love—the love between you and your parents, your siblings, and other family members; a bond that’s never so simple but prolongs regardless, unconditionally. There’s playful love, obsessive love, love that matures over time, and a selfless kind of love. There’s just so much out there and I find it so ridiculous how we fixate on just one type of love— that romantic love that takes control over our actions and our thoughts again and again and again. It’s not a bad thing to want a love like that. In fact, what a joy it would be to live in a world where everyone had a love like that.
But, now I’m looking at you.
I know how hard it is for you to see yourself for who you really are. So, I will tell you this outright, right now. How you are with the people you love, the ones you love outside the realm of romance, and the ones you love indiscriminately, I can hardly take it. Your love is golden, golden, golden, I can’t ever look away.
- You
I’m sorry.
There’s one more type of love that I left out. The love that urged me to write this for you in the first place and the one this has always been about.
It’s just like me to forget, though.
For this 10th reason why, I feel the need to tell you how sorry I am, having not been able to love you the way you deserved to be loved in the past. To apologize for all of the pain I may have caused you and I hope you forgive me for it.
I love you, I love you, I love you.
Even during the times when it feels so hard to— I love you. Forgive me for all the times I’ve faulted you and have done bad things. Forgive me, for I’m learning what it’s like to feel differently.
In this letter, I’ve listed down 10 things I love so dearly about you. Truthfully, I feel as if I could write about a hundred more. I see how you wish to touch it, that thing you’ve been searching for. But, before you throw yourself into that romantic love that I know you so innocently run towards… think of me. Find the strength to open up and love me first because there’s still so much of you to love. Find the strength to make room in your heart for me because I can’t think of anyone else who could love you more.
I promise I love you.
From,
You
References:
https://www.iberostar.com/en/inspiration-guide/wellness/eight-types-of-intelligence/
HiLites ASHS 