I've learned something very important through having an on again/off again boyfriend of three years who is not much of a talker. I've also learned this lesson because I am a talker, so the lesson has come to me by comparing myself with him. Basically, I am quick to vocalize anything and everything - my feelings, beliefs, opinions, emotions. I'm especially good at this when it comes to telling the people I am closest with, but I sometimes struggle with expressing myself honestly with acquaintances or strangers. On the other hand, my (current) ex boyfriend is very selective with his words in general. Though I would probably melt and die if it were to happen, I never expect a long, emotional text to wake up to. At times, his lack of communication pisses me off to extreme extents. I am known to freak out if he doesn't text me back right away. But this is just him and the way he does things, and after three years you think I would learn how to work with this. I'm trying. The one thing that I've learned from being in love with someone who isn't going to write me a three page love letter, is the value and importance of words. Hearing "I love you" all day, multiple times a day would be lovely, but the meaning fades and it becomes less of a novelty. It's true that the less we hear something, the more valuable it becomes. I'm a firm believer that you should always tell someone how you feel about them while you have the chance. But it's not that I don't know that he loves me. The reason I'm bringing this up is because tonight I got a text that said "Proud of ya" .. which is not something I hear very often from him. In one month, I've had my dad, mom and my ex (honestly, I hate how "ex" sounds so negative) all tell me they were proud of me. It always means so much coming from people so close to you, but especially when it's not something that you typically hear. I'm learning to keep some words and thoughts to myself, and use them less as space fillers and more as genuine sentiments. Love should never be a word that loses its value or meaning.