Growing Up Together: 22 Years, 17 Married, and Still Choosing Each Other
Why young love only works when you’re willing to grow up side by side
Everyone loves the fairytale version of young love;
The high school sweetheart story, the happily-ever-after wedding photos, and the anniversary posts with smiling captions about “growing together.”
But what most people don’t talk about is the other side of that story, aka the “growing up” part, as that part is neither easy nor glamorous.
My wife and I didn’t meet as adults who knew what we wanted from life.
We met as teens, and since then, we’ve seen every version of each other, which changes everything compared to those who met later in life.
Most men marry women who have known them only at their best, or at least as fully developed men.
Most women marry men who’ve seen them in their “settling down” version of self, not when they were building an identity or partying it up.
Jackie and I saw each other when we were raw, still figuring it out, while stumbling through immaturity and mistakes; we grew up together, we won together, we lost together, but through it all, we remained together.
The part most people don’t understand…
Everyone loves the highlight reel of “high school sweethearts,” but few talk about the grind, the trade-offs, the mistakes, and the hard lessons.
If you want the whole truth, the pros, the fuck-ups, the ecstasy, adventures, and the reason we’re still standing strong after 22 years, 10 months and 15 days (as of 22 Jan 2026) you’ll need to read on…
