Susan and Dave, Broke But Happy

For a couple of years Dave and I were neighbors who had only said, "Hi", to each other once in awhile. After I invited him to a barbecue, being together became an almost every day thing. After a month of friendship, we fell in love. He proposed on Feb. 12th. He couldn't wait until Valentines Day. We have been married 12 years.

I suspected Dave had been watching me for some time before the invitation to the barbecue. When I asked him if this was true, he said, "I knew right away that this one is crazy enough to have me." We laugh a lot. I believe laughter is the most important thing to keep romance alive.

Finances have always been a stress, along with the rest of life's challenges. Perseverance and commitment have kept us together. We know that we will always be together and that we can always depend on each other. Both of us have made some bad choices with alcohol, etc., but we remain committed despite our mistakes.

I think we're a pretty cool couple. My first marriage did not last a year. This one will last a lifetime. My parents have been married for more than 50 years and I take marriage seriously. The failure of my first marriage was devastating.