‘A Memorable Weekend Adventure’
People do crazy things for love. That may explain how I ended up on a Pennsylvania back road with a lamb peeing in my Subaru. It was five days before Eid al-Adha and 11 months after our first date. We had picked up the animal from a local sheep farm and were delivering it to a nearby butcher — a memorable weekend adventure. He’s a Tunisian merchant’s son who likes hosting parties and cooking with farm-fresh ingredients. I’m an American farmer’s daughter who knows how to get things done. Just like lamb and couscous, some things (and people) belong together. — Jessica Hibbard
Embracing My Reflection
Every morning, I look in the mirror and, begrudgingly, decide to like myself. Again. With my impatience, bulging stomach, receding hairline and inner critic on full blast, it’s no small feat. My love story? It’s with me. It’s not a kiss-my-reflection kind of connection. Rather, it’s a messy, clumsy journey of learning to accept the quirky, sweet, obnoxious, stubborn guy staring back. Some days it’s a shrug. Others, a small smile. But I keep at it. Because one day, I just might find self-love that will stick. — Michael Sussal
Peace After Pain
When I arrived in the world, my older sister greeted me with a loving hug. Separated by 21 months, she taught me how to do everything from writing my name to riding a bike. The first sibling to navigate adolescence, she was often frustrated, uncomfortable and restless. I admired her but wanted to be nothing like her. I always knew she held a private pain. At 45, my sibling courageously transitioned. I now have an older brother who is finally happy, whole and content. And when I visited him recently in Portugal, he greeted me with the same loving hug. — Linda Bardere
The Right Fit
We made plans to meet at a mega furniture store in Omaha to shop for a new bed. I arrived first, wandering the aisles, testing mattresses. “Can I help you find something?” the saleswoman asked just as I looked up and saw my fiancé descending the escalator. Her eyes followed mine. “Oh, I can see you’ve already found it,” she said. Yes. At the age of 55, I certainly had. — Eileen Davis
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