We met at Binghamton University & remained friends all through the years. We dated other people, I married someone else, and he attended my first wedding. It was after my divorce that I finally realized that what I was looking for was right there in front of me all along. Almost 30 years later and we are still the best of friends. Now, he finds my phone and I find his keys. The brain fog, pain, & endless struggles of perimenopause try to claw at us but we are stronger & in love more than ever.

Raising children (2 from my previous marriage, 1 ours) with him has been an amazing experience. We are not perfect by any means but the hands-on dad has been an incredible blessing. He's completely dedicated. He probably changed more diapers and doing more laundry with a smile on his face than I have. One specific memory is when it took both of us to change our youngest son's diaper at six months old while he was doing a handstand. He was relentless. Can't imagine doing life with anyone else.

We would finally go on a honeymoon after 18 years being together and 10 years married. I was pregnant and in graduate school when we got married. We have traveled together as a family but no honeymoon. But because each moment together is priceless for us, we didn't really feel like we were missing out on anything. But it would be amazing to go away just the two of us.