50 days. I have no idea how many gratitudes that is. (If I’d been restricting myself to only five a day, the math would be easy. However, I’ve never made a point of making things easy for myself—why write five when I can write seven or eight?) But since 50 is a big, round number that holds some significance, I think I’ll write about something else that holds just a teensy-weensy bit of significance: Teresa Smith, the lady I’m gonna marry in January. Because I’m super-duper grateful to have her in my life.
This list won’t be the usual “I’m grateful for [blank]”, but bear with me. See, a few months ago, we were driving to Teresa’s parents’ house and listening to a message from Pastor Louie Giglio. He’s a good speaker with a lot of good insight, so when we’re spending a few hours on the road, listening to him is a good way to pass the time. In this case, he was talking to the guys in the audience. So guys, I’m passing along his message to you, so you might want to write down the list when I’m done. (If any ladies write down the list and give it to their significant others… sorry if I’ve just raised her expectations for you.)
See, anyone can say “I love you.” It absolutely has significance and everyone should appreciate it when someone tells you. However, a romantic relationship requires a lot more than that. You can tell her “I love you”, but when’s the last time you said “I like you”? That seems like a pretty important part of a relationship, right? I hope it’s not something you’re overlooking (“We barely tolerate each other’s presence, but at least the sex is good!”), but just like “I love you”, there are things that are really important in a relationship that women should hear from time to time. Consequently, I try to remind Teresa about these five things once in a while. They’re a good basis for our relationship and I’m grateful that I can say them truthfully to her every time. Okay, guys, ready to start writing? Here’s the list:
- I love you.
- I like you.
- I enjoy spending time with you.
- I think about you.
- I want to help you achieve your dreams.
