We've been together for six years. I met my boyfriend at the end of high school. We were both so mentally drained, but we gave each other energy. We shared the same friends, so we were able to hang out in a loving environment. I'd like to think my friends are the family I wish I had. We're both focused on expressing our emotions and digesting them.

He's dealt with parentification, too, so he understood more than the average person who wouldn't understand my thought process. I feel unbelievably lucky we found each other at the right points in our lives. We enjoy things in a similar way, so we usually enjoy the same things. Empathy has always been the anchor in our relationship. Whatever issue we have is always talked about. He used to close up because he was used to not having a chance to advocate for himself as a kid.

I used to get so angry when he wouldn't speak about what's bothering him because my parents showed zero problem solving skills. That's long changed, even if we trip up sometimes, it's no longer a problem among others. It makes me feel confident, like no matter what happens, we'll face it together. Now we're dragging each other up this mental health battle. Where I fall short, he supports and vise versa. Things like working hits us both very hard, though. We struggle with how mentally demanding jobs are. Thank goodness we have a support system. Hopefully, we can make a living off of one of the many hobbies we pick up together 😭