Day 8: a thank you letter to someone who has changed your life

I could write a sweet and sentimental letter about my mom or dad and how they raised me to be the woman I am today. I could write about my brother whose opinion I value more than anyone else's. I could write a letter thanking my friends for accepting me the way I am and always being there for me. But all of that would be too ordinary for me. I want to write a thank you note to my ex boyfriends. This is clearly written to one person in general but to a whole slew of men who have each taught me something in life.

Dear Ex bofyriend (fill in name),

I want to thank you from the bottom of my good heart (it has put up with your crap for ___ amount of time) for teaching me so much over the course of our relationship. I have learned patience from waiting on your call. Patience also became my greatest virtue when you stayed out with your buddies and didnt make it home on a given Saturday night. Patience was my middle name when you couldnt decide what you wanted to have for dinner and I was about to eat my hand. Yes, you taught me Patience and I thank you for that.

Thank you for helping me realize that flowers are only given randomly to girls in movies. I thought that might happen sometimes in real life, just on occasion and spontaneously. Thanks for clearing that one up. You also helped me understand that its okay that you never open the door for me. Well you opened the door in the beginning but thanks for teaching me that there was a time limit on that good deed. I shouldnt expect so much of you, I apologize for that.

You always spoke your mind which I appreciated, especially when you were drunk and decided to air our dirty laundry in front of all of our friends. I want to thank you for letting everyone know our issues so they could give their opinion on the matter.

Thanks for almost getting me killed those 184 times in the car when you drove like a bat out of hell or got lost in the ghetto. Thank you also for getting so drunk that you left me in a bar when you saw your buddy in the bathroom and forgot I was sitting at the bar with your friends.

Thanks for always dancing with me at weddings and other events. It was so nice to show all of my friends how graceful you are on your two left feet. I especially loved this when you were wasted and decided to "grind" on me in the presence of my entire family, that was a wonderful night!

I want to thank you for always telling me exactly what was on your mind and what we could work on in our relationship. Thank you also for talking about this with the girl next door and sleeping over because she was upset. I appreciate you taking other girls out when we were at separate schools I'm sure they were lonely and you were there to make them feel special, that was SO nice of you.

And last but not least, thank you for continuing to call and text even when I've told you multiple times that I'm so very over you. I am flattered that I was so great that you still love me and want me back. I really love to hear this at 2am on a Saturday when you are wasted and I hear it from multiple ex boyfriends. I'm honored, but I want you to know that I learned so much from the first time around that I earned an A+ in being your girlfriend and really dont need to repeat the course.

I learned what types of food you liked and guess what, new boyfriends like those recipes too. I learned not to call you too much and not to nag. Those have come in handy. I also learned to always treat you like you are the most perfect man in the world and through this I learned how to get you to do what I want which might be, boyfriend, the greatest lesson you taught me. I thank you for this!

Love,