Today is a gift and that's why we call it the present

I met in the street a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, his cloak was out at the elbows, the water passed through his shoes -- and the stars through his soul.
-Victor Hugo

I love that you get cold when it is 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.
-When Harry Met Sally

"When someone loves you for a long, long time... REALLY loves you, then you become Real. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly."
-The Velveteen Rabbit

...The "Present"

Larry and Rosemarie will live happily ever after.

Well, we both graduated from Bear Creek High School in 1999 and then went on to UC Davis. We also both graduated as Biological Sciences majors with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior in June of 2003. It was great because we had the majority of our classes together, so even though we both went to the same college, we still managed to study together and motivate each other, although people might think this would be a distraction. Larry left for Temple University Dental School on August 11th, 2004. *sigh* He'll will graduate in May 2008. I just graduated from UC Berkeley's Optometry School and am working in Stockton, CA.

Now for some mementos from our relationship...
	This is a scan of one of the sheets of paper Melanie Ann used for the lists she made to try to convince me to like Larry way before Larry and I went out. Notice all of the vital qualities that I should look for in a boyfriend, including "Not a party pooper; willing to do stuff like putting on makeup..." Haha, that's another story.
	This is the ticket stub from Mad City--the movie we watched the day after we went out. I remember that Larry was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt. Hmm, do you remember what I was wearing, Larry?
	The first gift that Larry ever got me was a Tamagotchi for my birthday. I named it Magoo II, after my first Tamagaotchi, but it has long since passed away. Rest in peace, Magoo II, rest in peace.
	Larry gave me a whole bunch of coupons on Valentine's Day of 1999. For some reason, I don't remember having this one. Larry must have hidden it for one year just so that I couldn't use this super great coupon. But then, again, I don't have to use the coupon, because I'm always right anyway... isn't that true, Larry?
	Larry was in The Record during senior year of high school for being a Kiwanis Senior of the Month. He isn't proud of it, but I am. :)
	April 9, 2002 issue of the California Aggie... The caption reads: "UC Davis Fire Department Specialist 2 Dave Stiles attempts to pry open an elevator door with an axe on the second floor of the Memorial Union on Monday afternoon. Two students, juniors Sara Jalali and Larry Lau, were trapped inside for about an hour after the power went out." Oops, guess who asked Larry to do an errand for her that day that required him to use the elevator? Sorry!

Here is a list of "Reasons why I love Larry" that I made four years ago...in 1999 or 2000 I think? I put each reason on a piece of paper and put them in a jar for him. Some of the reasons may seem weird, but that's how I feel. :)

He is always willing to compromise if it means that it will help our relationship. We have a lot of the same interests… and even when we don’t, we’re willing to share each others’. Larry is friendly to everyone around him and is known for being a nice guy. He’s very thoughtful and concerned about everyone. He has the most perfect eyes. What an adorable smile! I love it when he’s happy. How he’ll listen all about my bad day and tries to make me feel better. He doesn’t make me feel stupid when I do silly things or make a mistake. Larry has a great sense of humor and always makes me giggle. I can talk to him about anything, even weird stuff. He cares about school and is very intelligent. Larry is close to his family and cares about them. I love how I can feel safe when he holds me in his arms. His lips are so soft and kissable. :) Larry looks so cute when he dances. He has goals for the future and wants to accomplish them. He’s a great son and is so respectful toward his parents. Larry is sooo very sweet to me. He always remembers our anniversary. (most of the time, anyway :) ) I always get thoughtful presents from him. Larry really cares about me and my well-being. I never get bored of him when I’m with him or I’m talking to him on the phone. Larry has this voice.. that, I don’t know, I just love. He cares about our relationship and our future. Larry doesn’t lie to me and tries very carefully to make sure that what he’s saying has no possibility of becoming a lie in the future. He promises that he won’t cheat on me and I believe him. I love how he keeps me warm when I’m cold. How happy I get when I answer the phone and it’s him. He always offers to help me with my homework, or with the computer or when I’m cleaning. He even puts up with me and my bad moods. (aka pms) Larry’s always sorry—even when he didn’t do anything wrong. And he’s not stubborn. The way he tells me “I love you.” He forgives me when I do something wrong and doesn’t hold a grudge. He makes me feel better about myself when I have low self-esteem. He always knows just what to say. Larry makes me want to become a better person. How I never want to say goodbye from the moment I see him. He e-mails me just to tell me he loves me. How he mouths the words “I love you” to me when we’re not right by each other or he whispers it in my ear. Larry gives the best massages. He’ll watch a movie even if he doesn’t want to, just to be with me. We don’t have to talk to each other to enjoy each other’s presence. We seldom have arguments and if so, they hardly last longer than a few hours. He likes video games and computers …and I think that’s cool. :) (Added: And he introduced me to DIABLO II!!!) How he kisses my hand. The way he smells. (Even without cologne!) He believes in and loves God. He cares so much if I’m sick and comes over to take care of me. He will do so much for me just because he loves me—Even die for me or wear a mario t-shirt for me. haha How he always wants to pay for everything for me even though I don’t let him. He’ll “tell me about when we get married” every time I ask (even when I’ve asked 546 times in a row.) How he says “that’s tight!” :) He will make decisions for me and doesn’t mind when I can’t. Larry is very hard-working at school and at home. Larry is so polite to everyone, including people’s parents. He’s creative in his sense of humor, schoolwork, and imagination. How he understands what I mean when I say “you know” and we can already understand what the other person is talking about before they even say it. What can I say? It’s just soo easy to love him. He keeps important items from our relationship (even little things) in a box, showing how precious our relationship is to him. He’ll finish my food for me even though he’s stuffed and I should finish it myself. How he kisses away my tears and always knows just what to say when I’m sad about something. He doesn’t brag (even though he has a lot to brag about), How he always makes me smile and in a good mood. How he lets me win a game if we’re playing against each other. (but he doesn’t have to!) :) How cute he looks when he’s asleep. :) The way that he blinks his eyes. ;) How he doesn’t think I’m weird for crying over something so small. He doesn’t just call me his “Princess,” but I really feel like one when I’m around him. Because it’s so easy to think of good qualities about him, as I am figuring out as I write this. He doesn’t want me to change for him, but is satisfied if I am just myself. He still thinks I look beautiful even when I really look torn up. :) We can just talk and talk on the phone and I don’t have to worry about what to say next. He always reminds me of how much he loves me. How he makes me feel so special and makes my heart feel heavy whenever he’s not around. ...plus more that I've discovered in the last 4 years... I've added more: (11/14/03) He's not a picky person and is always willing to try new things. (This is SO the opposite of me) He gets along with my family really well and is really polite to my parents. He'll drive back and forth to Berkeley to visit me every other weekend or more and doesn't complain about the drive at all. He cares about his health and tries to teach me about stuff because he says he wants to make sure I'll be able to live a long life with him.

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