Now I know (letter)

In this world, I thought I was smart, learned, educated… I had been through hell, been to heaven, and everywhere in between…
so much I had experienced, so much I thought I knew.

And then there was you.

I learned from you that as much as I thought I knew, I had only begun to understand and know the world around me. I never knew the sky could be quite so blue or a sunset so beautiful as when I watched it through your eyes, watching me.

I never knew what family really meant.

I never knew the comfort of complete, unconditional acceptance.

I never knew that friendship didn’t have to take a backseat to passion.

I never knew passion didn’t have to take a backseat to friendship.

I never knew true friendship.

I never knew true passion.

I never knew love.

No, I mean real love.

I never knew freedom. Freedom to be myself.

Safety.

Security.

I never knew I was beautiful.

I never knew I was worthy.

I never knew how humble I was until you were proud of me.

I never knew me.

To think that I could have lived my entire life without you, thinking I knew so much, when all I ever needed was to know you in order to know everything.

You are every romantic cliche ever written and every love song ever sung. Your name is whispered in every line of every piece of poetry I read and write. Where once I only wrote the words, where once I could only sometimes feel them, now I live the words I write, with passion…

…and understanding.

I never knew I was alive until you taught me how to live. I never knew how much I had, until you showed me how to give.

I never knew…

… and then there was you.

And now I know.