Valentine's Day Present to My Girlfriend: • A Skeptics Journey through the Bible

12 Notes

Valentine’s Day Present to My Girlfriend:

In this absolutely personal and in no way relevant to the topic of this blog post, I wanted to share part of what I’m doing for my girlfriend for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. I’m partly posting this because this list, and the time it took to write it, is a big reason why I haven’t been as active on this blog as of late. I also thought it would be a unique way for you all to get to know me a little better in a personal way and lighten up the tone of the blog a little.

I decided to write her a “25 Things I Like About You” list, but I wouldn’t allow it to just be a generic one with no sustenance, listing things just like “I like your smile.” With everything thing I listed, I gave a detailed explanation of why I felt that way about her. I took all of this and handwrote it into a little red book journal I bought at a store and am going to wrap it and give it to her on Tuesday. Shh, don’t tell her! Warning: there is a lot of sappy stuff in here and also a lot of inside jokes that you may not get, but here is the list in its entirety. :]

25 Things I Like About You:

1) I like how corny we are:

I like how you always try to nug in the middle of the night. I like how sometimes you talk in a baby voice to me. I like how we always say “You my favorite.” I like how if you have a bad dream, you’ll put my arm around you and lay on my chest. I like how sometimes you’ll roll over to pout, just so I’ll put my arm around you and spoon you. I like how I’m able to give you a lot of firsts. I like how I feel like the world stops when I’m with you. I like how we watch Disney movies. I really like planning romantic dates for you and surprising you with them! I like how you always play footsies with me and how you’ll always wrap your little foot around my much bigger foot. I like the way your hands feel in mine. I like holding you and kissing your forehead. I like all your kisses even the “Ferris wheel” ones. I like how you always lay on my shoulder or on my chest. I like that you like that I’m corny sometimes. I like when we are holding each other standing up and you step on my feet and we walk together. I like the feeling when you wrap your legs around me when I pick you up and carry you. I like waking up next to you.

2) I like how you always want my attention.

One of my favorite things in our relationship is when I’m laying down in bed and you sit on top of me and play with my hands while we talk. You’ve been doing it ever since we first started dating. If I was watching something on TV or focusing on something else, it was your way of saying “pay attention to me!” in a cute way of course. Also, I find it really adorable how you always won’t let me fall asleep because you want as much time with me as you can get. The fact that you want my attention so much means that you like me so much that you want to give me your full attention. It means you value me as a person so much that you can’t get enough, and that means a lot to me.

3) I like the sense of trust I feel with you:

When your friends were disappointed in you because they invited you to a club or to a party and you declined, I’ve never seen you falter. Like many other girls, you could easily give in to that pressure and go out to places like the club, but you don’t because of the importance you place in our relationship. The fact that you actively seek out ways to do things with your friends that don’t include things like that, or other simple things like pursuing hanging out more with Missy because she also has a boyfriend and knows what it’s like, show me that you really care about trust. I like that men aren’t blowing up your phone or your social networking sites or vice versa as well; it shows me that you aren’t seeking attention from other guys. I also like how when you’re at a party without me, you will text me back and call me; it gives me reassurance.

4) I like how you are dependable:

Just like with trust, you have proven that I can depend on you. Anytime that you make a commitment to me or to others, you always follow through. You’re not flakey in the sense that anytime we plan to do something, you are not ditching me for something else. When you and I say that we are going to hang out or do something, we both are absolutely going to do that unless something urgent comes up and we can’t. This dependability increases how much I value you and increases my trust at the same time.

5) I like our friends:

I like how in the beginning, my roommates were constantly criticizing me that I hadn’t made it official with you yet. These are the same guys I made a “stay single” pact with! It shows you how much they like you. No friend I’ve brought you around has ever had anything bad to say about you, and that is very important to me. I really like showing you off and talking about you to my friends. I am proud to bring you around as my girlfriend. I also like how you encourage me to hang out with my guy friends and do not get jealous when I spend time with them. I really like your friends as well. Although they may resent me in the sense that I have taken you away from the single life with them, I think everyone is really nice and enjoy the time I have been able to spend with them so far. I look forward to hanging out more with them. It also makes me feel really good when I hear you saying that you’ve been talking to them about me, like when you were making the girls jealous when you were showing off your bracelet and things like that. It makes me feel appreciated and valued that you want to show me off to your friends.

6) I like your family:

I’ve only been able to spend a limited amount of time with your family, but I really like everyone I’ve met so far. They all have been very relaxed and welcoming. Everyone is down to earth and nice. I think your father and I are going to get along great and I really respect him. I’m glad that your brother and I have been able to hang out; hanging out with him is like hanging out with one of my friends. I felt really respected and trusted when they let me drive to Cleveland for the circus and down to your Grandma’s and at other times. They treat me like an equal and not like an outsider and that is a good feeling. I like that your Grandma and Mary really like me, and your sister and Shane are nice too. Of course the family member I like the most is my other Valentine, [her 5 year old niece] Marrissa. I really enjoy taking you and her out. Also, my family seems to like you, and it is cool that you and my sister have been able to spend some more time together.

8) I like your ambition:

While most other girls your age are depending on their parent’s for everything, you have your own car, a job, a set career path, and are doing well at college. The majority of other girls seem to have placed top priority in hooking up and partying, so it’s very attractive to me that I can see a lot of independence, maturity, drive, and goals in your personality. I see the traits in you for success and it makes me look forward to a future with you.

9) I like how you are classy.

You have a sense of what it means to have class and to be “ladylike.” When we first started dating, I noticed that you were very careful with how you acted around me and it was (and is) adorable. Even though I pressured you, you wouldn’t drink alcohol in front me because you said you cared about how I perceived you. I noticed other small things too such as how you specifically made an effort to not cuss in front of me because of similar reasons. I would never judge you on these things, but it made me feel very valued.

10) I like your taste in music:

Most girls seem to be much too concerned with trivial stuff to be concerned with caring about music, especially finding bands or artists that have never been on the radio. Even though I’ve complained about Wicked or some Taylor Swift, I secretly enjoy your music taste. I like that you have a bunch of CD’s, that you enjoy a lot of the music I listen to, and that you enjoy going to concerts like Warped Tour. I like that you like that I play music and that music is something that you place importance in. It shows a creative side and a deeper side to you. I like how music like Brad Paisley makes me think about you the whole time. I really feel connected to you when we listen to slow music (“My Best Friend”).

11) I like that you aren’t into starting drama:

This goes back to the having “class” thing, but it is really attractive that you are not into gossiping unnecessarily, you don’t lose your temper often, and you’re not into fighting others or causing drama with others. Concerning us, we rarely argue (and when we do it’s over dumb stuff) but you’re always looking for a way to get it resolved as soon as possible. You’re such a great listener, attentive and responsive, you rarely get mad or heated, and you’re calm and patient. Despite being younger than me, you are often the voice of reason in our arguments instead of the other way around. You’re very understanding and I really like how we can always talk things out.

12) I like how you’re not clingy:

I like that you have your own life and your own priorities. I know that we’re always thinking of each other, but I like how we’re not always texting/calling/hanging out with each other. I think it’s very important to be alone sometimes and to not be defined by another person. Even in public, you’ll show affection, which I like, but you’re not all over me/making out with me making others uncomfortable haha. Online, you’re not commenting all over and stalking my pages. You’re not stealing my phone/hacking my email address and all of that. I have absolutely nothing to hide, but I just really appreciate that you are relaxed (and not psycho) with that kind of stuff. We have a great handle on seeing each other a lot, but allowing each other personal space.

13) I like how you know what you want out of life: At 18, you already know that eventually raising a family is very important to you and that you want to be a mom. The fact that we’ve talked about such things at such an early stage in our relationship should say something about how much I am into you. when we talked about this once, you said that you wanted to have kids and get married when you were out of college, around age 22+. I will be 26+, just when I had planned on settling down and beginning that kind of thing. The fact that our plans and wants for the future mix very well is a great sign for our future happiness.

14) I like how thoughtful you are: Some of the thoughtful things you do have a maternal essence to them, and I really like that. Like, how you make the bed before we lay down for the night every single time and how even though you have trouble with the lighter you’ll sometimes light the candles, and how after we get in the covers I always say “It’s your turn” to turn the light and TV off even though you always do it but you do it anyways. Or how you remember my favorite candy is Circus Peanuts and how I really like those cough drops and got me them for Christmas. Or how you always get the movie and help me clean without me even asking. I never feel like I’m putting in way more than I get out of our relationship, and that’s important.

15) I like our conversation:

We share similar intellectual mindsets and I like how what you want, and usually feel about a given subject, correlates with what I want. We seem to share similar views on serious topics like religion and that is important because if we didn’t, it could possibly cause problems later. I like how you let me talk about the most random subjects for long periods of time and how you just listen. Often, I’ll get to the end of some long-winded thought and you’re always listening intently, again, showing that you value me and what I have to say a lot. I like how I can talk to you for hours about nothing and not get bored. I like that you really like me for who I am and that I feel comfortable saying exactly what I want to in front of you without fearing that I’ll be judged.

16) I like how you are appreciative:

I really like that you are always grateful for me paying for things or for coming places with you. You’re always making a point to say thank you, and even have sometimes texted me hours later to say thank you for something because you forgot to say it earlier. I like how you appreciate nice things, but are not materialistic or have a spoiled attitude. I really enjoy taking care of you and treating you to things, so hearing your appreciation really validates that feeling and makes me care for you so much more.

17) I like how you make me feel confident:

I like how even though I may be looking scruffy and feeling unattractive, you like my scruffiness. Your compliments always make my confidence go sky-high. I like your attentiveness to the little things about my appearance: you’ll instantly know when you see me that I have something new on and you’ll comment on it. It shows that you pay enough attention to me to notice those things. I really like when you call me “sexy” and “hot” and of course “handsome” because you don’t do it all the time so it really means something when you do. I like how you like, and have complimented, on random things about my appearance that I would think you wouldn’t like my happy trail, stomach, chest hair, shoulders, and hands haha. I also like how much I can sense you respect me and are proud to be with me.

18) I like how attractive you are:

I like how beautiful you are and your sense of style.The way you look oftentimes takes my breath away. You manage to always look beautiful, sexy, unique, and fashionable all without dressing slutty. I love how you always change up your look; I love how your makeup is always perfect and never looks overdone. I love your slim figure, your smile, your eyes, your hair. Some of my favorite looks on you are when you just wake up or just get out of the shower. I like your hipbones and your back dimples, and when you do your nails and do your hair different.

19) I like how you turn me on:

I really like how much sensuality there is when we kiss. I like the way you kiss my neck. I like your openness. I like our “naked naps,” and “voldemorts.” I like how I can often feel your heart beating hard through your chest against mine. I like how seductive you are, and that passion we always have for each other.

21) I like how you make my stress go away:

I could be having the worst day but when I see you, everything negative goes away. It’s almost as if none of that stuff matters, because I’m so happy to have you with me. You’re such a great listener and never get impatient or upset when I vent about things going on in my life.
22) I like how we go on cool dates.

Although I am just as happy cuddling in bed and watching a movie, I really like creating experiences out in the world with you. I get really excited when I’m planning a new secret date for you, and it’s one of the coolest things to pull it off for you and to see you made happy through it. I like how you’re always down for the unique things I want to do. On the other side, I like how you’ve taken me to do cool things as well. I really like creating memories with you. We just need to take pictures!

23) I like how you are “real”:

I like how genuine you are. I like you modest you are and how while remaining confident you still have a great humility about you. I like how you’re always positive and how mature you are. I like your sense of humor and how you make me laugh. I like how all of these things never come from a fake place, but from you being yourself.

24) Other Thangs:

“The way you sing low in the car so I can’t hear you.”
I like how you don’t do drugs and don’t drink a lot,
I like how you’ll watch shows with me like paranormal stuff. It’s so endearing because most girls would never do that or at least wouldn’t actually be interested in it, and it made me think that in the future we could watch cool shows like that.
I like how I still get butterflies the moment your name appears on my phone.
I like how you like circus peanuts as much as me!
How I feel protective over you.