The phrase “thank you” is often said too much with no true value, or too little, with every ounce of honesty when it is used. We use it as a default phrase. A mundane, couple of words we use when someone compliments our outfit, or how they love a new haircut. Anything really, except when people actually need to be reminded of how much something truly means to you. Or to thank them for doing something extremely impactful. The cold, hard reality is, we all do it, even if we’re unaware. That’s why we need to take the time to tell people how much they mean to us, thank them for everything they’ve done for you, and then just accept whatever happens next.

First of all, there is a someone who came into my life (to this day, I still don’t understand why) and I don’t think I could have asked for anyone else. So Tanner, thank you. Now, I don't just mean for tolerating my stupid outbreaks of awful singing to “The Greatest Showman”, or when I text you 9 times in a row, and it shuts your phone off. It’s so much more than that. Thank you for helping me see my many reasons to live. Many people have come and go, just for the fun of it. When you came, and stayed, and truly put in effort, you began to bandage a hole that kept ripping open. But you never knew that. Despite the fact that you may never know the extent, I’m going to remind you every, single day how thankful I am for you.

Thank you for always making sure that I’m doing okay, and that I never go to bed upset. You have quite literally dropped whatever you were doing, to call me,just to get me to smile. I’m generally not the type of person to rely on anyone to be happy. I know better than that, because in a mere matter of moments, it could all fall apart. Somehow, the thought of that happening with you is so far away, and sometimes I think that maybe fate will never catch up with us. Cliche I know, but you make me smile, even when I REALLY don’t want to. Your humor, your smile, and your genuity are unfathomable.

Last but not least, thank you for helping me out of a tough situation that I had deemed hopeless. Before I met you, my life meant so little to myself, and I didn’t think I could hold on much longer. The pain of waking up, and realizing that nobody would be particularly excited to see me that day, hurt me so much. A dollar bill, a piece of gum, and a couple weeks later, you began to show me how much I have to live for. You made it so easy to want to live again, and you pulled me out of a deep trench when I thought I would sink like a rock. So here I say thank you, but definitely not for the last time.

Take the time to tell people how much they mean to you. Do it all the time, even if you think you do it too much, because I promise you, there’s no such thing. Tell people how you feel, because you may wake up one day, and realize that you ran out of time. And when that happens, you want to know that there wasn’t a single word left unsaid. Make every moment count, and make it last as long as it possibly can. You never know when it could be your last.