To the Men I Love

Thank you.

Thank you for never letting me feel my gender made me different from you.

Thank you for encouraging me to do exactly what I wanted to.

Thank you for guiding me when I felt lost.

Thank you for teaching me with everything you had in you, so that I could be prepared for whatever came my way.

Thank you for spoiling me with gifts and affection, never letting me feel underappreciated.

Thank you for standing up for what’s right and giving me the strength to do the same.

Thank you for loving me the way I am without any expectations.

Credits: lauren lulu taylor

Thank you for nurturing my growth with as much care as humanly possible.

Thank you for being vulnerable with me and giving me the space to do the same.

Thank you for fighting for me with every breath in your body.

Thank you for doing everything you can to protect me.

Thank you for never holding back your love and affection for me and welcoming me to do the same.

Thank you for never reducing my mother, grandmothers, aunts, cousin-sisters, friends, and me to just our gender, and treating us right.

And most of all, thank you for showing me what real men look like and never letting me settle for less.

I wouldn’t be me if it weren’t for you, and I will never forget that.

I love you more than words can express.

~Prerna