An Abundance Of Short Stories & A Handful Of Poems

I Love You

To the friends I've had since I was 5, and the ones I made when I was 12; the ones who made me laugh, the ones who made me cry, the ones who taught me to love; even though we don't talk, know that I love you.

To the friends I met in high school, and the friends I made in college; my dates to the dance, my partners in crime, my best friends, my date to the prom, my hiking buddies, the ones who helped me find my voice, the ones who listen to me rant, my second family and friends for life; I cherish all the laughs, all the tears, good and bad times, know I love you.

To my grandparents; the ones who were at all the choir and orchestra concerts, the ones who taught me to love and trust in myself, ths ones who raised me to be the woman I am today, you are all I aspire to be, and I love you.

To my aunts; the ones who show me unconditional love, the ones who are always there, the ones who are always willing to listen, the ones who encourage me to be true to myself, my shopping buddies, my closest friends, they are amazing mothers, and I appreciate everything you do, know I love you.

To my uncles; the ones who support me, the ones who work hard, the ones who care more than they show, the ones I cannot live without, the ones who love their kids and their family; know I love you.

To my cousins; the ones who are more like siblings to me, the ones who support each other no matter what, my friends and my family, the ones with strong minds and hearts of gold, the ones I have grown up with, the ones who are always there; know I love you.

To my sisters; my built-in best friends, the ones who love more than they show, the ones who continue to grow, they're strong and brave, smart and loving, the ones I cannot live without; know i love you.

To my brother; the protector, the one who is brave, the one who is strong, the one who is smart, the one who loves with his whole heart; know I love you.

To my mother; the one I will never understand, the one who tries her best, the one who is misunderstood by everyone she meets, the one who loves in doses, the one I try so hard to get through to, the one who sees the world through a different lense; even though we clash, we fight; know I love you.

To my father; the one who wasn't always there but makes up for it, the one who loves his daughter more than life itself, the one who was there for every orchestra concert, the one who saw me graduate, even though we don't always know what to say; know I love you.

To the ones I've lost; my first kiss, my best friends, my first love, my great grandparents, my uncle, the ones taken from this earth, ex-friends, the ones who are all a part of my past, you're all part of what makes me who I am, and even though our story is over; know I love you.

To the men I've loved; the one who gave me my first kiss, the one who took me on my first date, the ones who have loved me, the ones that taught me something I didn't know before loving them, to my longest and my shortest loves, thank you all for opening my eyes to the world, you all have a piece of my heart; know I love you.

Author's note:

I have come to realize that I say "I love you" quite often. Some may think that I take love lightly, but that's farther from the truth. If I say "I love you" know that I mean it. A few years ago, I was in a situation where... I got into a fight with some people I loved, and instead of saying "I love you" the last words I said were those of anger. That is something i will never be able to get back.

So, ever since then i have constantly told those i love how much I love them. We don't really know how much time we have on this earth, and we can get so heated in the moment that we forget this. Know that, if you're reading this, that I love you and appreciate you.

Tell someone how much you love them!