Tea Still Loves Coffee After 20 Years of Marraige

This May has been a month of celebration. I graduated with my MA from UAlbany on the 14^th, and the 31^st is our 20^th Wedding Anniversary! These past few years have been different as I took the time to complete something so important to me. There’s no way I could have done it without the support of my partner. With everything that’s happened in the world in the past two years, it wasn’t easy to step back to working part-time so I could focus on school full-time. And I needed it.

When David was going to school part-time and working full-time, I stepped in and took care of things around him so he could focus and achieve something important to him. A partnership is a give-and-take. How someone supports another person may change over time, but the need is always there. The biggest trick is communicating those needs and appreciating when they’re met. Thanks, babe!

This winter, I started playing with digital art. So silly. I made these little characters based on David and myself. He drinks coffee. I drink tea. When I used to teach healthy relationships programs, I talked about relationships being a good kind of work. Not taking the partner for granted, communication, support, and that person being the one you wanted to give extra attention to because they reciprocated. I used my marriage as an example of not having everything in common but still needing to do things together. Partners don’t have to be exactly alike and do everything together, or life would be boring—but have some things in common and enjoy your time together.

I made these silly panels of Tea and Coffee off on adventures. They are not the same, but they’re out finding space and time for one another in a hectic world. I’m not terribly skilled with digital art, but I love these little characters. I may need to make some more of them.

Happy 20/29, Coffee! 20 years of marriage! 29 years since my senior prom (our first date)!