Stop. Stop right now. Stop what you’re doing. Stop texting him. Stop thinking about what to text him. Stop overthinking what to text him. Stop asking your friends what you should text him. Stop thinking about what he thought of your last message. Stop freaking out when he doesn’t text you back within an hour.
Just stop.
There are enough things in this world to be upset about: child soldiers, war in the middle east, suicide. You don’t need to be worrying about whether or not he’s going to respond or what he’s going to think of the message he sends you. You’re not being selfish, it just shouldn’t be a problem. I know you want him to like you. I know you really like him. I know how good it feels to have someone finally show interest in you. But if he’s not taking the time to respond, or even if he did and you’re just wondering what would be the most clever, least awkward thing to reply back, just step away and stop thinking about it.
You know why?
Because you don’t need him.
I know this is hard to accept. To be entirely honest, it feels great when a guy you like texts you. Your heart does a little dance and you get butterflies in your stomach, and you feel like dancing. This is all great. But you don’t need this. You may want it, but you don’t need it. I know there are a lot of people making you feel like you do. I know a lot of people only a little bit older than you are getting married: I know that when you visit your parents they’re asking you what kinds of guys you’ve found. I know there’s a lot of pressure on you to find the right guy.
For that I am so, so sorry.
You are perfect exactly as you are, exactly on your own. You are strong and smart and capable of overcoming every obstacle. You want to have a shoulder to cry on, you want to have a warm hug when you’ve had a bad day. But all you need is to find it in yourself to keep moving past and be the best version of yourself in the face of every struggle. You may think you need a guy there to pick you up when you fall, which is nice. But I’m here to tell you that you can do it all on your own. The truth is, even if you do need someone to help you, there are a lot more dependable sources for this than the cute guy who sits in front of you in history class.
You don’t need to be completed. You don’t need another half, because you are a whole, complete, beautiful person on your own. There may be a lot of pressure in University to find the right guy – but what’s even more important in University is finding yourself. University is a time to figure out what it’s like to live on your own, and mature. It’s a time to figure out your own interests, and what you want to do for the rest of your life. It’s a time to find yourself: your strengths, your weaknesses, and your values. There are a lot more important things to think about regarding yourself than anything you may be worrying about regarding the text conversation you’ve been keeping up with this guy.
I’m sorry if when you opened this article you were hoping for advice on what to text him back. You want my advice? Be yourself. Be casual and move onto something else. Because honestly, there are a lot more things to focus on in your life over the fifty ways you could be saying hello to this guy.