In our bedroom after the war.

So I might have mentioned to some of you that I made a friend in my watercolour class. We bonded as being one of the very few under age sixty people in the room. Tonight she told me what could only be titled as her life’s story, well, at least the last ten years or so. I’m going to share it with you because if any of you who read this blog are as half as jaded as I am, you’ll appreciate this little tale.

She’s from Manitoba. Just thought I’d throw that out there. When she was sixteen she met the man she would eventually marry, aka her high school sweetheart. Here’s the kicker: she married him at nineteen (she’s thirty now so this was pretty uncommon for the ‘90s I think). She was in her second year of University doing a philosophy major and him his sciences.

Here’s the double kicker: neither one of them dropped out. In fact, she went on to do her Masters and he got his M.D. and is now a doctor. I tell no lies.

So where are we in the story? Ah yes, high school sweethearts marry in their teens, become holders of multiple degrees, move to pretty Newfoundland so the husband can do his Residency.

Here’s the triple kicker: she is only now pregnant. They waited the appropriate ten year gap (so both could finish their schoolings and get suitable jobs). They’ve filled the gap with their three dogs and one cat and now have decided to add the little baby to their perfect lives.

Does anyone else find this truly flabbergasting? High school sweethearts marry in their teens, become holders of multiple degrees, move to pretty Newfoundland so the husband can do his Residency (because he’s a DOCTOR), live appropriately with only pets so that they can both get their careers in motion first and then when this happens, become pregnant with firstborn at the perfect age of thirty.

To me who grew up with only the image of a dysfunctional marriage to study, I’m amazed. People of my generation can remain happy like this through it all?

As we were walking back to our cars, I looked at her and said “You give me, I don’t know, hope. To know that there are relationships like that out there” She laughed and said “I guess it’s not really common. The trick is though, I married my best friend. We grew up together and usually the changes that happen to people in their twenties tear relationships apart. But we grew together, we were. . .are best friends, and that’s the only way to do it.”