10 silly little things that I love about you

Insurance, driving license, a new home... These are things you are forced to start thinking about when you are turning twenty-three. And five years together. When people start (perpetually) asking you, “When are you getting married?!” Life (with your significant other) isn’t just about that white lace wedding dress that you’ve always dreamt about. It isn’t just about a perfect honeymoon on the warm and luscious sand of Santorini. It isn’t just about the names that you have in mind for your future kids. It’s also about the boring, and sometimes nerve-racking, argument-inducing, bits.

This year, we (as a couple) turn five. We’ve reached the stage where the tedious parts of life (and our relationship) are finally wearing us down. We’ve reached a point where date nights, love letters and polaroid photos seem awfully trivial. Anniversaries seem “pretty lame”, petty gifts, a waste of money and sentimental words, puke-worthy. Truth be told, I wasn’t planning on writing this. In fact, since our anniversary falls in the midst of exams, we agreed not to do anything on the 17th of January this year.

But, you know something? I stayed up last night thinking about my life thus far; and a huge part of it was, you – from meeting you for the very first time when I was eleven, to having an unrequited crush (years later) and finally, waking up to the same familiar face that warms my heart every morning. I thought of the sweet little things that we did. The first date that we had by the Marina Bay. I remembered leaning on your shoulder and refusing to adjust my posture even though my neck felt sore. I recalled the first time we did a 10k Nike run together. I remembered how you insisted on running by my side despite me urging you to break your own record, but ended up dashing off when the shot was fired. I remembered laughing my heart out when I saw you waiting at the 7k mark, looking out for me. I remembered the selfies that you would send me every night when I enlisted in Basic Military Training. And I remembered how important these silly little things were in bringing us to where we are today.

So, even though this may cause me to throw up my breakfast when I read it again tomorrow, today I’ll tell you 10 silly little things that I love about you.

1. I love how you add “Mel knows” at the start of every story that you tell someone.
2. I love how you put so much effort into planning me a surprise but (always) end up telling me about it because you’re just too excited.
3. I love how (using the words of our flat mate) you can make a story of a tortoise sound exciting.
4. I love how you tell me that I’m fat and chubby all the time, yet buy me way too much food.
5. I love how you tell me “I love you” as much as you call me fat and chubby.
6. I love how you come into my room every night to give me a goodnight hug.
7. I love how you say Korean dramas are a waste of time, yet you occasionally watch them with me.
8. I love how hard you try to persuade me to eat an apple.
9. I love how I’m the first person you turn to when you need a prayer.
10. I love how you say, “Meeeel, you really know how to push my button,” when I (deliberately) annoy the hell out of you.

The list can go on and on, but I’ll save it for next year. And the next. Happy 5th anniversary, my love. Even when we’re seventy, let’s not forget these silly little things, okay?