We’ve been close for a very long time. First we were friends — wonderful friends. We were mutual confidants, always talking about what was going on in each other’s lives. Giving advice. You’d run drafts by me of things you were writing to get my take.
And I’d turn to you for the inevitable sanity check: “Am I overreacting? Could there be something to be worried about here? What do you make of this situation?”
It was an incredibly fulfilling friendship. When we first met, we didn’t hit it off right away. Because on the surface we didn’t have that much in common. But once we started talking, we realized that we viewed the world the same way. Our values overlap was amazing. It still is.
I was more surprised than anyone when we fell in love. Chemistry can be so fiddly. But ours lined up too. Eerily well.
We are so much alike in core ways that it’s uncanny. Still, I’ll admit that I’ve had a pervasive insecurity about our differences. We’re both renaissance people — with so many different interests. And some of yours were literally things I knew nothing about when we got together.
I found myself wondering — on many occasions — if you’d rather be with someone who could meet or exceed your knowledge of those things. This would be the partner you deserved. One who shares your core values and all of your interests.
But I tried not to get swallowed by those feelings. And instead I took an interest. I asked you questions. Watched videos with you. Accompanied you to events for those interests.
And slowly but surely, I learned. I learned so much. Strangely, I now have opinions about these areas. And I find myself easily bandying back and forth with other enthusiasts in those areas.
Looking back, I can see that you did the same thing. Like the day I walked into the living room, and you were listening to a Herbie Hancock album. You have developed jazz opinions. I love that.
And now I’m sitting here all these years later — and not only are we still together, but we’ve both gained a ton of new experiences in the process.
I thought I was going to lose you, but instead I gained a ton of knowledge.