We met in August of 2004...

Marcus and I both lived in the international dorm at our college.  He was the "bad" boy and I was little "goody-two shoes".  Seriously, that's how people viewed us!  He was in his second year, and I was a brand new freshman ready to take on the big world of college.  After a few weeks of friendship, our relationship got seriously quickly and before you knew it we were together two years.  Most people were really surprised by this because neither Marcus nor myself had ever had a serious relationship before.

After the first two years, I began to suffer from some health concerns.  I was tired all the time, gaining weight, and didn't have the energy to do even the smallest physical activities.  Many people thought it was depression because I was crying all the time and couldn't figure out what was the matter.  I was in a wonderful relationship, had awesome friends, and was making good grades.  Marcus stood by me through thick and thin.  He went to doctor's appointments with me, and he wouldn't let me give up until I got an answer that made sense.  Now we know that I have a form of hypothyroidism known as Hashimoto's and with the help of some medicine, I'm feeling a lot better.  Without that journey, I don't know if Marcus and I would have gotten to know each other as well as we did.  We opened up about a lot during that time and made a vow to be completely honest with one another about how we feel emotionally and physically and that communication would be the key to our relationship.

Now, four and a half years and a wedding since that point, we are still going stronger than ever.  I'm not saying everyday was perfect.  We certainly do have arguments, and we will never agree on some things, but we have a very strong bond and a passionate love that I have never known before.  I hope it lasts as long as my parents' (25+ years) and grandparents' marriages (50+ years).