To All The Women I’ve Ever Loved:

Today I am feeling grateful, from the bottom of my heart, for every single one of you. Though none of us were perfect (especially me), each of you taught me something incredible about myself, about life, and about the world. I owe each of you a debt of gratitude. Some of you came into my life for a unique reason or a short season, and some of you will be in my life for a lifetime. Thank you… all of you!

>> To the single mothers I was blessed to date, thank you for helping me become a better father, for teaching me what it means to raise a child, and for allowing me to learn from your examples. You are an inspiration!

>> To each of the angry girls I say, thank you for teaching me patience and for showing me something that I didn’t want in my life.

>> To all of the drunk girls, thank you for helping me understand that a true connection is something that is developed when two people are sober. Perhaps we learned that lesson together.

>> To the girls who kept me around as their backup plan, thank you for teaching me that I’m worth so much more than that.

>> To the women who thought I wasn’t worth it, thank you for showing me that I needed to go find somebody who thought I was.

>> To all the girls whose hearts I have broken, thank you for helping me see that I need to be more careful with who and how I share my affections with. I am sorry for the hurt.

>> To the ones who didn’t want me in their life, thanks for not wasting my time. You taught me that if we’re not compatible, why waste a single minute working on something that has no future.

>> To the ones whom I didn’t want, I’m sorry, but I did you a favor. There’s no reason for us to waste time working on something that has no future. I learned that the hard way, many times. Thank you for letting me share this lesson with you.

>> To all the girls who broke my heart, thank you for helping me realize that love is a two-way street and if only one of us is in love, then we’re on a dead-end road.

>> To all of the girls who became “just friends,” thank you for teaching me that a relationship with a woman doesn’t always have to be physical. You showed me that women can and will be some of the best friends a boy will ever have in this life.

>> To the women who chose to be my wife, thank you for taking that leap of faith with me. Even with all of the pain with divorce, changing anything would mean that I wouldn’t get to learn those beautiful and tough lessons. I wouldn’t change a thing.

>> To all of the girls who cheated on me, thank you for giving me empathy for what that feels like… and for reminding me how important it is to be faithful.

>> To all of the girls who were not honest with me, thank you for teaching me the value of the truth.

>> To all of the beautiful disasters, thank you for reminding me the beauty is not just how you look, it’s how you treat others and it’s your heart that truly counts.

>> To the girls that didn’t respect themselves, thank you for reminding me that “learning to love yourself IS the greatest love of all.” Thanks Whitney.

>> To the girls who gave me their bodies, but not their hearts or minds, thank you for teaching me that we were made for so much more.

>> To the girls who spent countless hours trying to change me, thank you for reminding me that I deserve someone who loves me just the way I am.

>> To the girls who loved me unconditionally, thank you for teaching me what that feels like. I am in awe of you!

>> To the women who had my children, thank you for being amazing mothers to two beautiful souls. You have truly changed my life.

>> To the women who stole from me, thank you for reminding me that people are more important than things.

>> To any woman who ever tried to manipulate me, thank you for teaching me “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, well, you’re just not gonna fool me again (G W Bush).” Also, thanks for letting use that George W. Bush quote.

>> To each woman whom I ever rushed things with, thank you for teaching me the wisdom of slowing down and enjoying the journey.

>> To the imperfect woman who raised me perfectly, thank you for filling my life with love, support, humor, and happiness.

>> To the women who I call my sisters, you are the four most beautiful and kind-hearted people I know. I would go to the edge of the earth for you. Thank you for setting the bar high so that I would know what it means to be a “good woman.”

>> To the woman I call my daughter, thank you for teaching me how to grieve, how to love, and how to have empathy for anyone who loses a child.

>> To all the women who didn’t believe in me, thank you for setting me free so I could find someone who could.

>> To the good women who moved on before we ever had a chance, thank you for reminding me that “timing is everything.”

>> To my beautiful cousins, nieces, aunts, and grandmothers, thank you for showing me love and for reminding me of the importance of family. You are all a huge support and blessing in my life!

>> To any woman who has forgiven me for any reason, thank you for freeing yourself from resentment and for giving me the gift of moving on and trying to do better.

>> To the women who deserved a much better man than me, I say thank you for making me want to be a better person. I strive everyday to be worthy of someone like you.