We’re fresh into marriage, and just got back from our honeymoon in Grenada.

And I feel more connected to him than ever. It feels strange to call someone my husband. We’ve dated for four years, and he proposed to me in two. Being proposed to was the shock of my life. I knew he was saving, but never knew when it was coming. I went deaf, dumb, and blind for a few seconds when he got on his knee. I couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Little backstory on him.

He had a rough life. 1 of 6 siblings who lost their mother to cancer.

He was only 13. His youngest sister, only 10 months old. He was an avid church goer and alter boy (where we actually got married) but along the way to adulthood, he got lost.

He became an addict along with 3 of his brothers, and stayed that way for 7 years. Lost two of those brothers to addiction in the process.

He got in trouble for stealing, and it wound up saving his life. He went through it, got sober, and went to rehab for a while. Came out, and went to culinary school. He’s an AMAZING cook by the way. Has that old school Italian cooking ways in his blood.

(His youngest and now only brother is still struggling, and we’re there for him even though it’s impossible to get through to him. We hope for the best.)

Then he met me.

He’s 4 years older, and unbeknownst to us, we’ve always circled each other’s lives. We grew up in the same borough

And even had the same childhood hang outs, went to the same stores, and he even went to school right around the block from an old job I worked at, for an entire year!

We had to of crossed paths at some point, him going to school and me work. We didn’t find this out, till we first started dating, and I told him where I worked. I happened to be standing on the corner getting lunch, of where he used to go to school only a year prior.

But we weren’t meant to meet yet. I always wondered when I’d meet the right guy, and one day he just popped up into my life

(my now sister in law dates/has a daughter with my best friends brother, which is amazing to say the least. My childhood best friend and I, now share a niece. Crazy how the world works.)

I guess us circling each other’s lives all those years, it was basically fate for us to finally meet each other. And the rest is history.

He’s a strong, kind hearted man, and I feel so blessed to have him. Were now currently trying to start a family, and I feel like my life has just begun.

My advice to people, is don’t judge someone on their past. My family and friends were worried when they found out about his past, but I wasn’t. I saw the man he is through all the roughness, and knew he was the one. If I would’ve said to myself “he’s a recovering addict, that’s bad news” I would’ve missed out on this amazing man, who would do anything for me, and our beautiful life together. I’ll keep you guys posted on baby news :)