Let me give you a tiny bit of background on my relationship with my boyfriend. His name is Hunter, and he is the kindest man I have ever met. As of February 7, we have been dating for 10 months—though it seems longer and shorter simultaneously.
Although we have only been dating for a little over 10 months, I know that he was meant to be in my life. And while the future isn’t guaranteed, I know he will always have a special place in my heart. Throughout our time together so far, he has made me grateful for things I didn’t expect. Below are ten reasons I am grateful for him.
1. I love that he introduced me to true love.
Okay… I know how cheesy this sounds! But I truly mean it. I have been in love before (because we all have a past), but the love I have for him is incomparable to anything I have ever felt. I honestly cannot picture my life without him. He is my best friend and so much more.
2. I love how much he has taught me.
When it comes to English grammar and mechanics or finding symbolizations in literature, I can reach near perfection. But anything outside of my English classes, I am quite average. However, my boyfriend is smart. His vocabulary is larger than mine, he excels at basically anything outdoors (fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing, etc.), and he is more patient and understanding than I am… by far. Whether he realizes it or not, he teaches me things on a daily basis both directly––like the outdoors activities––and indirectly––like how to be more patient and understanding.
3. I love his humbleness.
Referring back to the previous point, he never accepts how smart he is. If he is offered money, he is always hesitant to accept it. When I compliment his appearance, he brushes it off as if it weren’t true. And while I love how humble he is, I am trying to work with him on accepting compliments and being more confident because he should be!
4. I love his passion.
When he is interested in something, he truly sparkles. Not just in his eyes, but throughout his entire body. While talking about the things he loves, his eyes twinkle, his posture straightens, his hands are all over the place, and his smile lights up the entire room. He is dedicated and sees things through to the very end.
5. I love his caring personality and kindness.
Hunter Bailey is the kindest man that I know. Growing up, I had remarkable male figures in my life—my Dad, Grandpa Dave and Grandpa Paul. But as much as I trust them, I have never seen them exude such empathetic and understanding energy like Hunter does. If somebody is hurt, his first instinct is to help.
There was one day that he was out ice fishing and saw thin ice. He took it upon himself to mark the area to warn others to stay away for their safety because he didn’t want anyone getting hurt.
Whenever we are around kids, especially my nieces, he is always willing to talk with them—even when he can’t understand them—and help take care of them. I also find it really attractive when he interacts with kids because he is phenomenal, and I know for a fact that he will make a sensational dad someday.
6. I love how he makes me feel safe.
From our first date to this very moment, I have never been in Hunter’s presence and felt scared. Even if I wake up from nightmares, as long as I am in his arms, I feel as though nothing from the outside world can hurt me. Every single time he hugs me, it melts all of my stress away, and I never want to let go.
7. I love how good he is at cooking.
I am blessed when it comes to his cooking. He is somehow a master of the grill, microwave, oven and stove! I have loved everything that he has made me so far––including garlic pasta, steak, marinated venison, salmon, mac and cheese and ramen. And yes, somehow his ramen is better than mine!
8. I love how he understands me.
Theoretically, all of our significant others would understand us and know all of our likes and dislikes—but that isn’t realistic. While Hunter and I still have occasional disagreements, we always come back stronger than before. I attribute this to the fact that we know each other inside and out. We know each other’s likes and dislikes—the easy part. But emotionally, Hunter and I are almost always on the same page, or at least we are able to take a moment and picture ourselves in the other’s shoes.
One day, I was really depressed, and my mind was telling me that nobody cared about me (ya know… the usual depressed, intrusive thoughts). And later that night, he brought me chocolates and a rose to remind me that I am loved. To this day, the rose is in a special place so I can keep it forever.
9. I love how attractive he is.
Don’t worry, it is all PG here! First off, I love everything about Hunter, but his eyes are pure perfection. They are the prettiest blue, and the way they pierce my soul makes it excruciatingly difficult to tell him no or keep his presents a secret. I also love his smile because, as I said before, it lights up the room and is contagious. I stare at him a lot—probably more than is normal—but he is always so HANDSOME! The second he walks into a room, my eyes immediately go to him. I am so blessed that I get to stare at him for the rest of my life. *swoons*
10. I love how much he loves me.
The first time Hunter met my friends, I asked them what they thought about him. The first thing they said was, “He obviously loves you.” The way he talks about me, hugs me and looks at me all makes me feel like I am the only girl he has ever been attracted to. And while I know that isn’t true, I can still tell that he wants me to be his forever just as much as I want him to be mine. As long as our love stays the same or grows, nothing can ever come between us. We are literally each other’s one and only, and he has never made me feel any other way.
Like I said before, the future is never promised. But based on the way we love and understand one another, we should be good for the rest of our lives.
Hunter, if you are reading this, I love you… MOST!