Amber

Do you love her?” “Yes.” “How do you know?” “Because nothing makes sense without her.

Growing up I always thought true love was red roses, dates on Saturday nights, little block box that held expensive things, and always knowing what to say. I thought true love was a kiss in the rain, deep explanations, and the perfect story. But now that I’m older I’ve realized it’s not like that at all. See because true love for me is ugly snapchats, and peeing while you’re on the phone. True love is kissing at 6 AM despite the morning breath and singing at the top of your lungs. It’s saying all the wrong things, at all the wrong moments. It’s sarcasm and being honest even when it hurts. It’s late hours of the night when it’s been a long day and it’s no make up and bad hair. It’s tears from laughter, it’s tears from sadness and it’s nothing like any storybook you’ve ever read. It’s never running out of things to talk about, and it’s being comfortable in the silence of things. True love is watching The Titanic though you swore you never would. It’s getting mad over stupid things. It’s “you’re an idiot,” and “you’re a little shit” and knowing you’re so lucky to hear those every day. It’s spilling your feelings at 4 AM when you should be asleep. It’s that song you hear on the radio that always makes you smile. It’s the worst story you could imagine, but thank God it worked out anyways. True love is never losing the magic. True love is not leaving when things get hard. I like my definition better anyways.

I like people who have a sense of individuality. I love expression and anything awkward and imperfect, because that’s natural and that’s real.

I want you and me. This means I want you and me and passports full of stamps of the countries we’ve seen and a collection of photos we took along the way. I want a camera that tells me I am out of room because I took 300 photos of you when you weren’t looking. I want your smile so big and bright and evident because I’ve succeeded in my sole job of making you happy on top of the happiness I know you provide for yourself. I want you and me and our kids we’ve already named under the Christmas tree. We are opening presents, drinking hot cocoa, laughing and beaming at our kids smiles; we are starting our own traditions. I want you and me and our kids filling our passports as we show them the world, showing them our favorite places. I want to be dropping off our kids at college and starting our next set of adventures. I want our friends at our place on Thanksgiving. I want to be our friend’s kids second family. I want to be the family with you that everyone else looks to when their relationship is on the rocks.

my idea of a perfect morning is waking up next to you.

Don’t hang out with people who don’t love you. Don’t try to impress people who aren’t worth it. Don’t try to win people over who aren’t worth it. Focus on yourself, and focus on the people who are really awesome and who love you. Don’t hang out with people who make you feel like shit. Don’t spend your energy on them. There is so much pressure to be part of the right thing: well, you should create the right thing. If you don’t see it, create it. If you don’t see what you want, be the change you want to see.