Twenty Things I Did For You That You Didn't Know, and Never Will

Bought from you something that I didn't need, because you needed to sell it

Listened to you express something I didn't care to hear, because you needed to express it

Moved my car over and slowed down while driving past you, to avoid startling you, hitting you with wind or exhaust, or splashing you with a curbside puddle

Recycled, reused, didn't litter, and otherwise left the world as I found it, or better

Turned lights or water off again after using them because I knew you would complain if I didn't

Cleaned up something I noticed before you could

Washed or wiped properly before shaking your hand or touching your food

Tightened a screw, bottle cover, or something else so that it would have less chance of falling apart when you used it

Convinced you that a mistake you made or accident you caused couldn't be avoided or wasn't your fault

Silently forgave you for something that you never noticed that you did, like stepping on my foot

Declined to do something that I may have enjoyed in order to spent time with you

Didn't tell you about something mean that someone said about you

Didn't repeat something about you to others which I think is cute but others would gossip about

Responded to the inherent message you were trying to convey, rather than attack the way that you said it or logical fallacies that you invoked

Resisted belittling you or using a sarcastic tone of voice

Lied to you when asked my opinion, when the truth would have served no constructive purpose

Ensured that work that I did for you was more than simply enough to receive payment, but would last beyond its expected lifetime

Never turned up the volume loud enough for you to have to ask me to turn it down

Donated or gave charity that somehow found its way to you

Thought about you lovingly or generously


Shhhh. It was my pleasure.

Yehuda