Collective World
Love

I Can’t Promise Much, But I Do Promise This

And most of all, I promise to let you know, every day, how valued you are.

By

Flora Westbrook

Like most people, I grew up on fairytales. Stories of princesses rescued by brave princes.Tales of true love that conquers all. Books filled with grand gestures and immense sacrifices. I used to believe in those powerful signs of affection. I was often disappointed when my assumptions didn’t match the reality.

However, I wasn’t only discouraged by my partners’ actions —‌ mine weren’t up to my imaginary standards either. That’s when I realized that life isn’t a romantic comedy or a fairytale. We can’t all promise each other stars and the moon. But we can promise each other a lot more.

I promise to love you with every fiber of my being. I will shower you with affection day and night, even if we argue. Loving hard can be difficult and taxing, but it’s always worth it.

I promise to stand by you through thick and thin. I vow to be there regardless of how hard things get. Love is a choice, and we have to choose each other every day. So I promise to never quit on you, on our relationship. I’m in it for the long haul, and that will never change.

I promise to make you laugh. Even though I’m not the greatest comedian, I will do my best to put a smile on your face as often as I can. When you feel down, I’ll be there to lift your spirits. We will go through the hardships of life together, side by side, smiling and knowing that nothing can bring us down when we’re together.

I promise to be your anchor. Be the one who grounds you when you feel lost and confused. I will be your beacon of hope that you always turn to when you feel like things will never go back to normal. I will be there, by your side, to remind you that you’re not alone.

And most of all, I promise to let you know, every day, how valued you are. I will never make you feel as if you’re taken for granted. You will never feel unappreciated around me, no matter what. Every single day, I will tell you how much you’re loved and how much you mean to me. I will never hesitate to share my feelings with you. They’re impossible to contain.

Fairytales might be uplifting to read, but they’re not better than reality. Real promises, real affection, and real actions mean so much more than imaginary romance. And it might seem like I can’t promise you much, but I’ll give you all that I have. Forever.