Michael and I have been together a good while now and thankfully we’re still ‘an item ‘after all these years. I have to say he’s rather good when it comes to remembering how long we’ve been married, or the date we went here or there – I’m a little more nonchalant about those things, and simply get on with it. Honestly though, it all amalgamates into one, especially as we were friends for years before we ‘hooked up’ and made it official. Many of our friends saw it coming apart from us!

It’s quite astonishing how the years pass by and we see friendships come and go and relationships develop. It’s all about times and seasons I believe – certain people touch our lives, good and bad, and in a way help mould us into the people we want to be. Michael and I were talking about it the other day as an old school friend came to the forefront of my mind. I began to reminisce about times spent with the said friend and remembered how she would often buy my lunch when I didn’t have money, once organised a whip round to buy me a pair of Dr Marten’s for my birthday and was a laugh to be around. I will never forget that kindness, but I’m not sure she knows how much that meant to me.

We then moved on to how much we had changed as people and what our partnership meant – a conversation that doesn’t often come up. When we first started going out we’d go driving late at night, listening to music loud in the car and laugh hysterically about silly things. Now, with two young children, mortgage commitments and other responsibilities, we have to make an effort to put time aside just for the two of us. We wouldn’t change a thing though and are making the most of this stage in our lives. All too soon the children will have flown the nest and we will be alone together. So we came to the conclusion we’ve had a great time so far and it can only get better.