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Sub Category : LifeStyle

My husband John and I have known each other since high school and we were the best of friends. I'm a year older than he is and we got along well. I met him in 1995 when I was a junior and he was a sophomore. We went to  the prom together my senior year and yes, I asked him. We hung out at each other's houses, went to the movies together, went to the mall, you name it. Over time, we both developed mutual feelings for each other, however, we made an agreement to not jeopardize our friendship. After I graduated from high school in 1996, I moved to Pittsburgh. I dated here and there, nothing serious, just testing the waters. John and I rarely conversed the next four years. We resided two hours away from each other. We didn't have snap chat nor messenger back in the 1990's. Hell, we were lucky to have cellular phones back then and if you were fortunate enough to own one, you were paying out the Ying Yang each month and being charged thirty-five cents per minute just to make a local phone call.😂 Sad but true, and a fact. Us nineties kids didn't have that luxury like today's kids. So, John and I didn't have much contact until September 18th, 1999. He contacted me out of the big, blue sky and wanted to see me. My heart was beating fast, my curiosity became apparent and I wanted to see him in the worst way.  

I drove up to Linesville on that September weekend, eager to see him after all them years. When we came into contact,  I simply ran up to him and  gave him a big hug and he spun me around as I wrapped my arms  around his neck. It was a feeling like no other. He was gorgeous, he smelled good and we gravitated to each other in a very short time. Despite the distance,  fate brought us back together again. 

John proposed to me on April 22nd of 2002 and we tied the knot on September 25th of 2004 on a secluded beach in South Carolina. 

Over the years, he has been taking care of me, dealing with my ups and downs with the patience of a saint. I put John through hell for years on end and there was a point in time when thought I had lost him for good. The good news is that I didn't. We both work at it every single day. We respect each other, we make compromises for each other and we are both committed to our relationship/marriage and after fourteen years plus five years of dating prior to that, we are happier now than we've ever been. Those fairy tales about Prince Charming looking for love and those shiny knights on white horses, forget it, those Cinderella stories are non-existent in real life. 

What brought my marriage back to life was getting more involved with John. Finding a leisure activity that you both enjoy doing by setting some time aside each day or whatever fits your schedule. Quality time builds bonds believe it or not, and it strengthens  relationships. I've learned that John and I both enjoy gardening and canning vegetables together. It's been very beneficial to the both of us. I find myself falling in love with him more and more by the day. Another useful idea is to plan a date night for the both of you together and alone. John and I do it once a month.  We go out to dinner and see a movie and we both enjoy it.  

Nobody ever said that marriage was easy and if you want it to be your happily ever then it takes a substantial amount of time, effort and committed. The possibilities are endless. 💙 
                        - Holly BrandHancock