I take responsibility for my actions. I love with all my heart, there is no room for hate. I have no true enemies, though I dislike some. I try to be kind to others, to understand their situation, to be patient with them. I have expectations of others, thinking there is at least some good in everyone and everything that could be found, if one just looks hard enough. I treat people fairly, give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I laugh heartily at others' jokes, even if sometimes I don't find them humorous. I thrive on helping the helpless, lessening the needs of the needy, healing the sick, and housing the homeless. I want to bring everyone I know together, so we can all be one big happy family. I want to make things right. I try my hardest to be the best person I possibly can, but now matter how hard I try, it doesn't seem to be enough. Not for you to notice, anyhow.

You take responsibility for nothing, even when everyone can plainly see who's at fault. You're always pushing the blame on someone else, anyone who is an available scapegoat. You have contempt for every living thing other than yourself. I have never seen you act toward another with genuine respect, so I don't even know if you are capable of it. I guess I'll find out soon enough. You have zero patience or tolerance for any other human being, because you simply don't care what's going on in anyone's life but your own, and it clearly affects the way you treat others. You don't care what others think of you either, or if you do, you definitely don't show it. Constantly sarcastic, that's your wit and humor talking. You're the smartest I've ever seen, and you throw it around as if it were a weapon to be unleashed at foes, rather than an asset to teach or inspire.

Yet somehow I love you, through all our differences.

And you don't even seem to notice.

You never acknowledge my efforts, or you might not even care . Maybe this is your way of being kind, of letting me down softly, but I don't want that - not at all.

I 'm going to get a definite answer from you, one way or the other.

I run up to you the first chance I get since making this life changing decision – life changing for us both. I come up from behind, by accident. I would much rather you see my approach, so you would be less startled and more apt to give me a positive response. I decide to go through with it anyways … I run up to you, grab you from behind, wrapping my arms tightly around your waist. When I finally decide to loosen my death grip, you turn around to look at me, surprised and startled. I never even gave you a chance to react, I just move in for the kill. I pull you closer to me, so our bodies are parallel, and our lips touch. I kiss you in the most meaningful way I know, hoping upon hope that it will be enough to explain to you how I feel, because words never could. It lasts only a few seconds, but that seems to be adequate. The look you have for me now is not of contempt or scorn as I expected, but worse – confusion. You have no clue what's going on. You pull away in a moment of fear.

"Is this a joke?"

You ask, raising your eyebrows as you wait for a response. I have no clue what to say, and for the briefest moment my heart skips a beat, and my mind tells me to play it off, as if it really was just some joke. Then I catch myself.

"Umm..."

is all that I am able to say at first. Then I slowly come back to my former bravery. I look you straight in the eye and declare for all the world to hear:

"No. This is no joke. I love you."

You look me over skeptically for a moment or two … trying to decide whether this whole situation is even plausible. Then suddenly your beautiful lips form into the greatest smile I've ever seen.

"I love you, too."

Your words surprise me, more than even you were surprised at first. I can't believe this is really happening. I'm still slightly in doubt when you pull me in for the warmest hug I've ever received. Then you whispered in my ear, those words -

"I love you. Happy Valentine's Day."

Those words are completely foreign to me. Today's not even Valentine's Day! … Wait – Oh no, It is Valentine's Day. I hadn't even noticed.

I hug you back as tight as I can and revel in my cliché.