Letters, on loving you. Transforming iterations of our bonds. Securing courage in the cloud. Mining good love from the Internet of Things. In other words, I love you. It’s what I do.
A love unique for each of you, a love that surpasses artificial, a love that is real.
Lavender.
This lady loves lavender. In Minneapolis, I would pick up bouquets on the walk back to my hotel. I imagined placing bunches in vases in my new home, wherever that would be, within the year.
It’s four years later. You still interfere in that permanent home. We’re all waiting on courage, babe. And you can fill that vase every day after, I won’t mind.
Leave.
People leave. They leave for all sorts of reasons.
I’m not going to leave this good relationship no matter how much you torch and burn and literally destruct. But I’d recommend getting it together and coming to say hi instead. There are far more important things we could be focusing on once your guys’ emotions are in check.
Like migration, the way our world listens, the losses that occur when it doesn’t.
Leave the emotional rollercoasters behind. I love you. The Chicago debacle happened. The two are exclusive in resolution, with the latter non-negotiable and not anything you computer, Hollywood, sports and post-2014 guys can resolve. The love part is the only ball in your court and yes, that’s a tennis racket in your hand.
Lovely.
Lovely freedom to worship.
Luxurious.
Let’s visit architectural gems. Maybe illuminate our own. Perhaps place a lamp or lantern on the porch, an everlasting light it’s own luxurious retreat.
Laudable.
Laudable random SF art.
Leisure.
Spend some leisure time with me, babe. Downtowns are a perfect way to get to know our neighbors.
Library.
X marks the spot. The best treasure to discover and yes I would love to support public library advocacy with you at my side.
Sneak me to the back and steal a smooch and this former library employee knows how to pull it off.
Look.
Look, a perfect pink at La Spa. San Leandro is a beautiful place.
Liberia.
Liberia. Nope, I do not know the entire story of freed slaves and the founding of this special country. Yep, I want to know all the details and let’s learn together. We have to go, and I feel like I cannot wait.
So heads up. In the future when I’m all antsy and you’re all like “hold up, we have busy schedules”, you can take me to Kendejah. It’s quiet and warm and kind and the food is delicious.
Bring your phone, read to me all the details of Liberia’s founding. Let me love the way you read, right there in front of you, finally.
Land.
Lean out of the table area and into the lounge, so we can think about the lush lands we have yet to visit.
Liberty.
Liberty. Take it literally, enforce it literally, protect it literally.
Lead.
And we’ll help build the future by assuring history is taught to our future leaders.
Latitude.
Latitude and bananas and flavors. Let’s compare, everywhere.
I’ll buy you some ear buds so you have free hands to double fist plantains.
Liechtenstein.
Here I am, planning our Liechtenstein getaway. I’m not a wild beer fanatic but if we’re heading that way we definitely need to pencil in some Brauhaus time. Hoppy? Light? Darker? What’s your style, babe?
Maybe you’ve got many shades. We won’t know until you keep me warm in the mountain snow. Or, platonically, until you kindle the fire that I don’t have skills to accomplish. I’ll cheer you on when you’re up there with the skis and you won’t mind the solo feel….we both know about your weird fixations on my backstory. You know my knees can’t ski and that’s okay cuz you also know they love to dance.
Liechtenstein has 100% literacy rate, and that is so ******* legit.
My knees are ready for you to take me Alpine dancing.
Legend.
That’s the thing about seals. They just create a mystery and extra spotlight on stories. Let’s not be legends in our minds, let’s get stories out (no matter how long it takes) and get on with our lives. Most people have a lot of other things to think about anyway. I love making another’s legendary personal journey a primary focus in connection. I also love knowing that my own story isn’t at the forefront of everyone else’s. People have a lot on their minds, let’s get personal stories out and share and keep going.
Besides, legendary stories just drive the point over to home plate: in the long run, seals don’t matter. They don’t freeze the story…..they only refrigerate it for awhile.
Even in the darkest of terrible control issues, you have made every single part of my personal story better. Even the times I claim you destroyed it.
I love you. Nope, no one can seal it away. It’s our legendary love.
Laos.
Bamboo stew? Vientian Cafe has it. This will hold us over until we get to Laos, and that’s a good thing. Bamboo stew is an acquired taste, I think, and you should probably come taste with me before we travel to monasteries and Talat Sao.
Listen.
Help me as we get older. I didn’t ask for the spotlight, I asked for the opposite, yet now I learned it. That’s not something to be wasted. Help me listen to those that are asking for assistance….silently…vulnerably away from free media, maybe out of global governance peripheral vision. These voices exist and we can be good at listening for the silence together. In spotlight. Frankly, where we belong.
Let.
Let me believe in God and be honest in faith. I’m not preachy, I don’t go to church every Sunday, I am spiritual. You be who you are and if that changes spiritually it does and I’ll still be there. Saying a little prayer for you.
Life.
Over here in Alameda, protecting life and wings.
Lebanon.
What does the sunset feel like in Lebanon? Among neighbors struggling with war and unrest in history, among beautiful city life in Beirut, among history I have yet to learn about…history with Phoenicians. With a culture so richly diverse, the sunset probably feels a royal crown, perched and confident. We won’t know until we go.
And yes, we can wear our colors with Pride.
Lost.
In between all these cities and countries and people to meet, let’s just get lost for awhile.
The Bay beaches, no beginning or ending or agenda. Just there on the sidelines, no delta marathon end. Just there for any moments when no direction is needed.
Let’s get lost.
Lock.
Locked in.
Come on over babe, I’m here.
Lily.
Limber lilies in the Alameda wind. I’ll plant some in my yard and if you come on over for friend dinners tell your date not to be nervous. This friend won’t judge and yes, he/she can compliment my gardens for bonus points.
Luck.
Luck, my nagging partner. How did I get in this pesky tea time relationship, again? Did you guys set me up or was it Match?
Latvia.
What’s that? You want to take me to Latvia and pick out an amber pendant? Hmmm….well, I’ll casually check my calendar and casually tell you I’m free that week and casually overpack and casually put kisses all over your face. I mean, I could casually tell you I am head over heals about that kind of stone.
Lithuania.
Lips, the better to kiss you with.
But first, special Lithuanian bread and yes, fried rye bread is as delicious as it sounds. Take me to Lithuania and let’s hike and trail hop and work up a sweat so we can eat as much fried rye bread as we like.
In SF, we can up our weekend workout game before Mama Lithuania Sunday dinners. That sounds like an absolutely perfect date. If we split the deep fried pierogies I will let you have the odd numbered extra.
That’s true love, guys. I truly love you pierogi infinity.
Lift.
Could you lift me up to scale the lovely, authentic castles in all the L countries? Yes, because of your muscles but also because your brains love me and keep trying to do what you think is best….which of course roadblocks what is actually best and all this is just to say: lift me by coming to be with me. That would make me happier than anything, and that’s what’s best for me and that’s also what’s best for you guys.
Wait to lift me about 7–10 days after our last fried pierogi meal.
Libya.
Before you sail me away to Tripoli we will perhaps need a little safer world. How can we accomplish this? Probably not without including those needing some peace.
Let’s brainstorm. Your sea yachts are fine but you’ll still need the courage to come ask me to step on board. Plans are no good without including who you are planning around. Which brings us back to peace for the future.
Legacy.
Legacy in color. It lasts, drives loyalty, lingers.
Perhaps only surpassed by what we do for others.
Luxembourg.
There are several delicious looking ice cream parlors in Luxembourg. I know this, I checked it out. Love me even when I get two scoops as a dessert post vegetarian version of Judd mat Gaardebounen.
I bet their reverse Superman flavor tastes just as good as our version. Blue, white and red.
Lesotho.
New culture, new fashion and perhaps you’ll treat me to a special Lesotho blanket wrap. I’ll make room for you if you want to cuddle.
Lesson.
If only we could’ve read about this in a romance or fiction novel. Maybe that lesson of love would’ve been the devilish-escape-turned-heartwarming-ending we could’ve prepared for.
Oh well. I love you. Time to turn the page.
It’s not a choose your own adventure but if it was I’d still choose your courage.
Lava.
Don’t look down; careful of the floor as you hop over to my spot. I lava you.
Lightshow.
Tonight’s Churchward Pub DJ show needed no beads. Let there be less plastic. Let there be more light.
No need for more love. Not sure if there’s such a thing as more love than I already have for you.
Should I ever write lengthy lyrics about our story…well, there’d be a lot of imperfections. A lot of words in need of atonement, even if the voice was in the right. A lot of laughs because you make me happy and the entire story is ridiculously unique. A lot of love, some romantically and some of you platonically and some of you brotherly too. Why not? There’s room in this party bus for all.
And if I ever find that a few beats can be expressed better wordlessly….well, there’s always a dance.
I love you guys. It’s so, so, so legit.
