Sometimes our journeys do not proceed in the straight line we anticipated. After both our lives took unexpected pivots, we centered ourselves, reset our foundations and made the trepidatious leap into Match.com. After Casey’s first hour of swiping and feeling zero confidence about the process, she saw Michael’s handsome face and clicked the heart icon for the first (and last) time. Unknown to Casey, this sent her profile and big smile on to Michael who sent a message right away. Unlike every unsolicited message Casey received that evening, Michael’s was respectful, inquisitive and decidedly not creepy. After many conversations, they decided to meet in person at Victor’s Coffee. Casey barraged Michael with every question that had ever crossed her mind and Michael was somehow not scared away. The second date included dinner, Michael serenading Casey on his guitar and Casey asking the new long list of questions she created (along with having him bring his results to an online character analysis assessment). Over the next couple months of bike rides, climbing ladders in rain storms, tendonitis-induced text marathons and, yes, more questions - Michael and Casey realized that their paths forward were not only aligned but stronger, sweeter and so much more exciting together. We don’t always get to choose the pivots our lives take but we do get to choose how we respond to those bumps and turns. Michael and Casey choose gratitude for the journey and they chose each other as companions for life. Dulcius ex Asperis – “Sweeter After Difficulty”.