Context: Each day on her blog Letters To Boys, Gretta Duleba has been posting things she once sent to men she dated. One of those, recently, was a love letter to me, which she “sent” me by posting it on the blog.

With a setup like that, it would be an absolute waste not to respond in kind.

Gretta,

I don’t love you in the usual sense of the word, or in the sense you defined at the beginning of your letter. Nor do I feel limerance or a crush toward you. But I feel something toward you, something subtle but strong, something which wants to be expressed, and I know no better words for it yet. So I can’t honestly call this a love letter, but I have no better name for it yet either; it is an attempt to explain what I do feel. Be warned, it is largely a stream-of-consciousness as I probe my own feelings.

When I query my own feelings, the first words which bubble up are “thank you”. I feel very, deeply grateful toward you.

Thank you for entering my life. Thank you for inviting me into yours. Thank you for… and then [...]

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First published:
November 28th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/m4vKbKRmWnJPzah9K/not-a-love-letter-but-a-thank-you-letter

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Not A Love Letter, But A Thank You Letter

LessWrong (30+ Karma)