Hunter and I have grown up together in good old Mead, NE, where we were in the same class. We started dating in 2020, our junior year, and have been together ever since. Our great meeting story isn’t anything fancy, but it’s the greatness of being high school sweethearts that makes it special. We've already created so many wonderful memories together, from supporting each other in high school sports to going on vacations.

The fun of being high school sweethearts is that you get to grow up and grow old with each other. When you start dating at a young age, it’s like growing up side by side. You learn together as life unfolds. You get to witness each other’s changes—our awkward teen years, new independence, and all the struggles and triumphs of adulthood. It’s more than just being together through the highs and lows; it’s about evolving as individuals and as a couple, shaping each other into who we are today.

You learn not just about love, but about patience, compromise, and the beauty of growing at your own pace while still holding each other’s hands through it all. And I am thankful that God gave us each other’s hands to hold for a lifetime. Here’s to growing old together, with more grays and more wrinkles.