For Red · On your 18th birthday
Happy 18th
Happy birthday, my love!
Congratulations, you are officially an adult now, which means you can finally go to prison like a grown-up! Huge milestone. Very proud!!!!!!!
In all seriousness, though, I really am incredibly proud of you. I am proud of the person you are and of the person you have become over the past few years. You are brave, or at least significantly braver than when I first met you, which is some very impressive character development XD.
I want to congratulate you on being such an amazing person, friend, and partner. I love you so much. I love all your quirks, your painfully unfunny jokes, and, of course, the thoughtful and genuinely funny ones you occasionally manage to produce.
But I also think it is important for you to hear some things that I have not had the chance to tell you often enough.
First of all, as the incredibly humble person that I am, I would never take credit for your personal growth… but I have obviously contributed significantly to your character development. You’re welcome.
In all seriousness, though, you have helped me grow far more than I probably manage to show or explain. Being with you has taught me so much about myself, how I act, how I communicate, what I want, what matters to me, and the kind of person I want to become. You have helped me notice parts of myself that I had never properly understood before, and you have given me a completely new perspective on who I am.
You have helped me become more thoughtful, more self-aware, and more willing to question myself instead of automatically assuming that I am right, which, as we both know, is a truly heroic achievement on your part. You have influenced so many of my decisions in genuinely meaningful ways, not by telling me what to do, but by helping me think more clearly and see things from perspectives I would probably never have considered on my own.
You have been there for me, listened to me, challenged me when I needed it, supported me when I doubted myself, and helped me understand my own feelings even when I could not properly explain them. You have made me feel understood, and you have helped me become more comfortable with who I am. I do not think you fully realise how much of a difference you have made in my life or how deeply you have affected the way I think and the way I see myself.
You have influenced my decisions in genuinely meaningful ways, and you have somehow made me a lot wiser. Yes, yes, I know, how was that even possible? Scientists are still investigating XDDDDD.
Anyway, what I really want to say is that I love you very, very much. You are incredibly important to me, and I want to be with you for many, many years to come. Preferably without either of us making use of your newly unlocked ability to go to prison.
I value your opinions, your personality, your support, and the way you see the world more than I probably manage to express. You make me think, you make me laugh, you make me feel understood, and, most importantly, you make me want to keep growing and becoming a better person.
Thank you for everything you have done for me, including the things you probably do not even realise you have done. I am incredibly lucky to have you in my life, and I hope you know just how loved and appreciated you truly are.
I love you a lot.