Saturday, January 10, 2009

How to Say I Love You - Part Deux


After seeing the "How to Say I Love You" video posted a little earlier, I got to thinking.

Many of us go through life constantly wondering if we're appreciated.  We are critical of ourselves and look for our flaws without reminding ourselves of the good we have in us.  When I was in high school, I had a teacher who wanted to remind us of the good things we had in ourselves.  He had each student write down one good thing about every other student in class.  He then compiled every good thing that each student had written about them, and gave the list to that student.  We all walked out of class that day feeling like people noticed the positive things, even the people we never talked to at all.

Why we need to be reminded so much?  We need to be reminded because the people that we're close to don't tell us very often.  Even the people that we have grown to love.  I have met people in my life who have fantastic traits.  Ones that have nothing to do with appearance, or how they treat me specifically, but just how they interact with the world... with their environment.

SuperForest is about having a positive affect on our environment... the people, the communities, nature, etc.  So today, I wanted to share with you all the things that made me fall in love with someone before.  I made a list of all the good things about this person.  When people ask, "What do you look for in a guy/girl?"  I don't generally know what to say specifically.  

So here is a list of what I found special about someone I love.

1.  Patient
2.  A quiet observer of others
3.  Sees people as characters that fit perfectly into a story
4.  Maintains the freedom of his youth
5.  Delights in buying a soda at the corner store
6.  Passionate
7.  Doesn't attempt to stand out, but stands out to me
8.  Works hard and is productive
9.  Isn't a con-man, but might pretend to be
10.  Is thought to have a large ego, but is just as unsure as the rest of us
11.  Concerned about the safety of others even though he neglects his own
12.  Quiets curiosity by experiencing the unknown
13.  Doesn't force beliefs on others, but argues them
14.  Respects authority, but questions it
15.  Has caveman skills
16.  Seeks a peaceful life
17.  Doesn't need constant affirmation from others
18.  Enjoys time alone
19.  Thoughtful
20.  Engaging
21.  Smiles with the eyes
22.  Is always honest, despite the negative reactions of others
23.  Doesn't attempt to change others to be their friend
24.  Is picky when it comes to people
25.  Confident, or at least appears so
26.  Always on time
27.  Can make people laugh but isn't constantly trying to
28.  Is comfortable with silence
29.  Takes a leisurely walk
30.  Delights in the journey, not just a destination
31.  Wants to be challenged
32.  Seeks to discover something
33.  Cares about others, even when frustrated with them
34.  Doesn't find irresponsibility amusing
35.  Is concise and articulate
36.  Finds satisfaction in things that fit perfectly - like wrenches, jeans, etc.
37.  Doesn't pander to others
38.  Doesn't respect others who are unjustly disrespectful
39.  Defends himself, but is sensitive to how actions affect others
40.  Kind

I hope that some of you remind the ones you love that you love them, but tell them specifically why.  It feels good to have people you're close to recognize the small things, and not just the obvious ones.

I invite all you SuperForesters to comment below with something you love about someone you know.  Share the love!

2 comments:

april said...

Hm, that's a great question. I think I'll devise a list of things I love about a few of the people in my life.

1. I love the way you really listen
2. I love the way you make everything fun
3. I love your wealth of advice
4. I love your jokes
5. I love how deeply you care about everything
6. I love that you see good in everyone
7. I love your open-heartedness (is that a word?)
8. I love the way you give
9. I love you for believing in me
10. I love way you make pineapple tart

Hey, I rather enjoyed making that list. Thanks for the call out :)

j said...

hehe, pineapple tart. i bet i'd love that too :)