A Love Letter, To You

Hello. My name is Justin, and I’d like to write you a love letter.

If you’ve never had a love letter written for you, consider this your first. If you’ve had many, I hope this will do. If you hate love letters, you probably shouldn’t read this—but know that it’s for you anyway.

To: You
Re: You’re Cute

Hey—so, this is going to sound kinda weird, and maybe a little too forward.

Well, the thing is, ugh, well, I, um, kind of…like…you.

No, no. I mean, I like you, like you.

There, I said it.

I would put one of those “Will you go out with me? Check Yes or No” boxes here, but I’d be too nervous waiting for your reply. I mean, what if you don’t even get this? Then I would never get a response, but since I thought you got it, I would think that you didn’t like me, because you wouldn’t have responded.

So, yeah. There it is. I like you. I mean, I think I love you.

I love when I see you singing in your car, when you think no one’s watching, and when you dance with your iPod at the bus stop.

I love when I pass you on the street, and don’t know your name, but we smile anyway.

I love when you’re passionate about the things you are—I think it’s cute the way you’re so into cars, makeup, music, or whatever.

I love the way you’re OK with who you are.

I even love you when I hate you for getting my order wrong, or cutting me off on the highway.

I love you because you are like me.

We may look or act differently, and maybe we’ll never actually meet, but I know you well enough to know that we’re both human beings.

You and I suffer tragedy. We have hearts that can break, eyes that can cry, fists that can hurt, and words that can cut.

You and I breathe sweetly. We both want others to care about us, have dreams that take us to tomorrow, and pursue the passions that keep us happy.

You’re skeptical, I feel. How is it that I can love someone I’ve never met?

I love people, even those I haven’t met, because that’s how we get along in the world. It’s the most basic thing we can do for one another: to show compassion, even to those we can’t stand. That doesn’t mean becoming pushovers or losing our spines. It means fighting when we need to, but loving because we have to.

When under attack by those who disagree with us, vile, hateful words do nothing to mend the fence. That’s a hard pill to swallow sometimes, especially in the heat of the moment.

If we instead take a step back, allow a moment to breathe, and tell ourselves before we say things we’ll regret, “I love this person,” we approach things more thoughtfully. Even if you don’t love someone, simply saying it to yourself will make you instantly feel more compassionate.

So, yes, I love you.

We have our arguments just like any lovers do. We don’t always see eye-to-eye, and sometimes, we just don’t like each other at all, but when the shit hits the fan, I hope we’re there for one another.

I realized I loved you the night I argued with a guy to the point of physical intensity. I remember only that we were strangers, and a simple disagreement led to a nasty, explosive battle.

Anyway, after our friends-had-to-separate-us argument, as we were leaving the bar, I stupidly/drunkenly slipped on a patch of ice, and hit my head on the cement. The guy I’d argued with was the first to see. He was the first to help me to my feet. He was the first to ask me if I was OK.

I questioned why he was suddenly so kind to me. His response? “Justin, I don’t hate you. I just don’t like you.” We laughed. Not exactly a typical love letter, but one itself nevertheless.

Take this, then, to heart: I love you whether I know you or not.

Keep in touch! Facebook.com/JustinJonesWriter.