Back in college when I was young and impressionable (I’m still impressionable, now I’m just old), I fell into a 30 days of letters challenge. The first letter was a letter to your best friend. I found it the other day. I re-read it and the only thing that’s really changed is that he’s now my husband instead of my boyfriend. Warning, it’s extremely cheesy. But I still love it. Here’s another nearly 10 year throwback and glow-up.

August 15, 2010

Dear Dario,

Everyone knows you're my boyfriend but I feel that you're more than that. You're also my best friend. Besides, a friendship is considered a relationship, and that's what we have with one another. A really strong relationship that involves love and friendship. 
 
I feel you're my best friend because you've been there with me through it all. Through everything that happened in high school with my dad, helping me learn to grow up both physically and as a person because I was absolutely clueless about the anatomy of the female body (lol), helping me transition to and get through college, sitting there and always listening to my stories about my background and how I grew up, and more. The list is endless. You've done more for me than I think anyone in my life ever has. You've helped me so much and maybe sometimes I relied on you too much to help me get by and get through things but I'm really glad that I was able to rely on you. You are so good to me and for me. I don't ever want you to think you're not appreciated and that I don't love and appreciate the things you do for me. I don't always show it to the full extent for you to recognize it, but I do appreciate everything. 

I know you spoil me and want to beat me up sometimes for acting like it, but when it comes down to it, all joking aside, I love you. I love that you're willing to do what it takes to make me happy. I love that you just want me to be happy and you'll try to the best of your abilities sometimes to see it through. 
 
You've taught me so much and have pushed me into going for what I want and made me realize that I am capable of doing almost anything I want simply by you just believing in me. A lot of the things I have and can do today, I honestly never thought could happen if it weren't for you. Being able to drive, make it through Pharmacy school, getting any type of job, being able to make it on my own, pursue modeling, break out of my parent's strict control freak ways and getting them to see me as a grown up person capable of taking care of myself, that list goes on and on too.


I know we get into some pretty bad fights but looking back on them, everything we have ever fought about seems pretty petty in comparison to how far we've been able to come along in our relationship. I'm glad we were able to overcome everything and remember that our love is more important than each other's pride. 


I'm glad that I can always come to you and feel comfortable sharing with you. I don't really have secrets from people, but there are just some things that I don't feel comfortable discussing with anyone but you. With you, I feel like I can share anything and everything without being judged for the most part. And that's probably why you know more about me than anyone. You listen and though you don't always understand, you're able to at least hear me out and try to figure out how to help me or know to just be there for me when shit hits the fan. I don't feel like I need to have something in common with you to able to discuss whatever I feel like talking about and sharing. I like that. I like feeling like I can be an open book with you because you make me feel so comfortable with sharing and not only that, you make me want to share every aspect of my life with you. I always want you to know everything that's going on simply because I want to share it with you. 


Thank you for always sticking besides me.You are my best friend. ^_^

Love, 
Chinh

May 25, 2019

Dear Dario,

It’s been a few years, give or take, and a lot of things have changed. We’ve changed as people, our relationship status has changed (upgraded!), our life has changed. We’ve grown up a lot. We got married! We have a house! We both have different jobs too compared to 2010! We are in such different places in our lives now than we were back in college days. We even travel now! But it’s always remained constant that you’ve been and still are my best friend. Everything above I wrote about you still rings true to this day. You still support me, believe in me and push me towards my goals. You are always willing to do everything you can to make me and keep me happy.

You take care of the little and big things for me, while I push you into new experiences and seeing the world together. I love how much you are there not only for me but for the people I love too. You always try to come off as a tough guy, but you’re really a cute softie at heart. It’s one of the many things I adore about you. You’re patient with teaching others, you’re open-minded to all the different people I introduce you to that come into my life, and you’ve been an amazing IG husband every time I ask you to take photos for me even if it’s to pull over on the side of a random street in Venice Beach to take pics with palm trees, hahaha. Even when I have the most ridiculous of requests, you still try.

Our fights have lessened over the years, thankfully, and I’m glad we can see eye to eye on the important things nowadays.

Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible you can love someone more and more everyday. But you still have me falling for you just as much as I did back in the 7th grade when I didn’t even know it yet that I was falling for you. It’s funny because we’re so different and people who come to know us even wonder how we both got together but opposites attract, right? And even though we’re both so different, there’s still no one else I’d rather share the experiences with. Sorry I’m obnoxious and extra and forever embarrassing in public. But thank you for always allowing me to be unapologetically me. You’re amazing.

To many more adventures forever together. And many, many, many more photos! Everywhere!

Love,
Chinh

Do you have an absolute best friend that’s been there for you through the years that you can rely on no matter what situation you find yourself in? Have you told them how much they mean to you? What do you love most about them?