Why I Love Derek

1. Derek is a strong spiritual leader. Sure, he's had his moments of doubting and running from God - who among us hasn't? - but he loves the Lord and it shows. In our relationship, he takes the initiative in prayer and studying the Word, and he encourages me to pursue God wholeheartedly and grow in my own walk with Him.
2. Derek sees the good in me, even the good that's not quite realized yet, and he wants to be a part of bringing it to be in me. Likewise, he allows me to draw out of him the goodness he can't always see. I love that we are both determined to encourage each other, and that we are both more confident as a result.
3. Derek and I share a lot of common interests and passions (e.g. God, singing, biking...), but he also cares about countless other things simply because I care about them. For example, he loves on my cat, he supports me in my athletic endeavors, and he encourages me to rediscover my artistic outlets.
4. Derek's primary love language is also quality time (although he is quite skilled at communicating love in multiple ways). I love that he always wants to be with me, and I never feel like I'm bothering him when I want to spend time with him. Every moment we spend together is better simply because we're together.
5. Derek is very in touch with his emotions. I love that he feels deeply, and that he understands and shares whatever is on his heart or mind. I tend to be pretty logical most of the time, but Derek draws out my emotional side as well. We complement each other well, I think.
6. Derek is an excellent communicator. I've known for awhile how important this quality is to me, but Derek surpasses every hope I ever had in this regard. In fact, I used to think I was a good communicator, but I pale in comparison! He's not afraid to bring up difficult but important issues, or even if he is afraid he discusses them anyway because he recognizes the importance of working through things immediately. And once something has been resolved, he forgets about it.
7. Derek is aggressive; he knows what he wants and he actively and passionately pursues it. Spiritually, emotionally, physically... he is strong. I've spent so much time trying to be strong that I love how he is able to make me feel weak too.
8. Derek is also extraordinarily affectionate. I warned him early on that I'm not, but perhaps that wasn't quite accurate. He brings out such a tender side of me that has been dormant far too long. I still sometimes worry about how others will react to his/our affection, but I never want him to deny that part of who he is.
9. Derek isn't always practical. I'm a pretty practical person, but I definitely love it when he does some impractical things. For example, he wouldn't even hesitate to drive down from Columbus even if it was to spend just a few hours with me. And he's already bought me flowers on several occasions; sure, flowers cost a lot and just die in the end, but they're so pretty in the meantime! Plus, they just show me how much he thinks of me, which I suppose is worth far more than the money he spent on them in the first place.
10. Derek is perhaps the most committed person I've ever met. And I love that, because I'm the same way. It's rather strange, actually, how quickly this has all happened, and yet I trust him with everything that I am and I so look forward to a lifetime of learning additional reasons and ways to love him.