Acquaintances who became the best of friends.  When Alex and I met, I was drawn to his charismatic smile and sense of humor. He could make anybody laugh or smile effortlessly.   Our story can be told across a couple of decades from teenagers to now, but the beauty in our story is his proposal.  I never saw it coming.  Thanksgiving 2023 will forever be etched in my mind as the day my world changed for the better.  As we gathered in the yard for what I thought would be a cliché round of speeches for what we are thankful for, things quickly changed when the love of my life began to speak on what he was thankful for.  A part of me wanted to interject with my sinister sense of humor but my urge quickly left when he dropped to one knee and popped the question.  My best friend of 20 plus years, father of our 2 beautiful boys, made my dreams come true by proposing to change my last name and finally make our family whole.  My heart never felt so much joy. We learned a lot from each other and we grew together in many ways.  Our love has stood the true test of time.