you who shifted me

You arrive unexpectedly as you always do
Rearranging the contents of my heart
Teaching me things about myself that I didn’t know I needed to learn
You push me into the great unknown encouraging me to feel my way through the discomfort
You make me smile
You make me laugh
Together we create memories

You who played the guitar by candlelight
Showing me how beautiful it is to be vulnerable
You who somehow got me to try sushi
When I was living in a world of peanut butter and jelly
You who reminded me to slow down, step deep into nature, and appreciate the breeze on my skin
You encouraged me to explore and together we found new places
You who drove across three lanes of a highway and kissed me for the first time in the ocean
You and I hiked the tallest mountains and lounged for hours on the beach
You who expanded my music collection by introducing me to new artist and different songs
You rode with me to the lighthouse and took a dip in the water
You weren’t afraid of adventure and came with me to visit the Indian Tree

You, this collective gathering of people that have flowed in and out of my life
You have left your mark on my heart
And leave me filled up with gratitude for all the moments we got to experience
You opened up my world
Pushed me forward and help me discover myself
You gave me air to breathe when I felt I didn’t have any
You surprised and delighted me
You helped me trust the butterflies
And leap into the great unknown

I remember how I thought that you and him would make great friends
How I had to step down into your living room
The first time you smiled
I remember pulling off the side of the road and listening to the rain drops hit the roof of the car
The moment we had to say goodbye
The way the room felt so tiny when you walked in it
I remember the park
The freedom I felt when I jumped onto the bicycle
And how the moment I saw you I knew it was going to be so good

Everything changed when I met you
The contents of my heart rearranging to find open space for you to fall deep into
I wanted to let you in
For you to see all of me
I wanted the moments to last a lifetime
And in my heart they do
Memories held close
As things shift and change

It is you that I am grateful for
The time we spent together
The chance you took
Thank you for adding to the story of my life
For writing a chapter or even a single sentence together
We may travel separate paths now
But the impact you have made on me will stay with me forever