A modern Iranian-English author Kamand Kojouri wrote, “Share yourself with me. 
I will never judge you.  I am here  and I will stay here  only to love you.”  I guess her words can become the motto of my romantic relationship. Being a good boyfriend is not something everyone can boast of. One can, for instance, recall how sadly Bruno Mars sings, “I should have bought you flowers and held your hand/ Should have given all my hours when I had the chance (…)” in his famous When I Was Your Man song. Yet, keeping my motto deep in heart, I believe, I have managed to become a good boyfriend for the girl I love, so that I would never need to make up a song full of regrets. I think I am a good boyfriend because I support my girlfriend, I am open and do not have secrets, I am kind, I respect my girlfriend’s boundaries, I share household chores, I take care of myself, I accept my girlfriend the way she is, and I love what I do in my life and always strive for expanding my worldview.

To begin with, I am a good boyfriend because I support my girlfriend. By support, I mean a variety of things. For example, I do not end up saying dutifully “As you want, darling” when my girlfriend is trying to discuss with me the prospect of her new job. Likewise, I try to be an empathic listener and listen attentively when my girlfriend tells me about her problems. For example, yesterday my girlfriend was sharing with me how she had quarreled with her mother. What’s more, I show my support when I go with her to the dentist, knowing that dentists are my girlfriend’s scary dream from her childhood. I take her by hand and lead her, and comfort her the way I can. Also, I show my support in my never-ending interest in my girlfriend and how her day has passed. So, I talk to my girlfriend, not only about how the day has passed, but also about her plans for the future and how both of us feel about certain things. Besides, I support my beloved person in whatever she starts doing. I remember I once heard Lady Gaga saying something like she used to date a person who was constantly saying that she would never be successful, never get a nomination for Grammy award, never write and sing a hit song, and who hoped that she would actually fail. I guess I am the opposite, because I try to inspire my girlfriend to go on and not give up even though she may sometimes lose faith in herself.

Next, I am a good boyfriend because I accept my girlfriend the way she is. I do not set any standards for my girlfriend and do not expect her to always look impeccable. I recognize that, above all, my girlfriend is a human being, and I find her humanity charming. When I asked her whether she ever got nervous if she said or did something wrong or looked not perfect, she laughed and said, “Never!” She added that she had already forgotten what it was like to worry about such things. My girlfriend also told me that the fact that I accept her as she is means that I really love her and makes her trust me.

Further, I am a good boyfriend because I am open and do not have secrets from my girlfriend. Specifically, my girlfriend knows how much I earn, why I have bought another phone, and why I never eat doughnuts. Not only do I invite my friends to our home, but we also go to visit some of our family on holidays. I know what the name of her first school teacher was and she knows who is calling (if she wants to). Besides, I am open about what I feel and say openly if it hurts. Sometimes I feel too vulnerable, but my openness and vulnerability only help us get closer as my girlfriend responds with her own openness, so we can build a meaningful relationship.

Apart from this, I think I am a good boyfriend because I am kind and I respect my girlfriend’s boundaries. By being kind I mean acting with respect in conflict situations, without humiliating my close person and without looking down on anyone. Also, by respecting my girlfriend’s boundaries I mean that I do not try to break or subjugate my beloved woman. I am not jealous of her if she wants to spend time with her friends and do not tell her what to do. Likewise, I do not aim to keep her life under my masculine control, because I recognize that my girlfriend is not obliged to follow my path in life but is a free person, who is able to decide for her what is good and what is bad.

Next, I am certain that I am a good boyfriend because I share household chores and I take care of myself. For example, my girlfriend does not need to get the vacuum cleaner herself, plug it in, and leave it in the center of the room, where it will remain for three days. I do the vacuuming myself. Moreover, I often wash the dishes. My principle is to divide the household chores not by gender but on the basis of fairness. Besides, I take care of myself by doing regular work-outs in a gym, going to a swimming pool several days a week, and eating healthy food.

In addition, I am a good boyfriend because my girlfriend can never be bored with me. It is because I really love what I do in my life and always strive for expanding my worldview. For instance, I am fond of travelling, bird-watching, windsurfing, and cycling. Moreover, I am keen on photography and I have even taken a course to improve my skills. I love communicating with people from different cultures and have even started learning how to play the guitar of late. Also, I have a good sense of humor, my girlfriend says.

In a nutshell, I am a really good boyfriend because I make my girlfriend feel what I feel about her: that she is a very important person in my life. In fact, the things that I do in our relationship come naturally as a result of my love, and I am happy about everything we experience together!