The short time I lived without you, I was not really living. I started living when I first met you.

I hear people talk about their high school dates, usually wondering what the heck they were thinking, wondering where they are today; I get to wake up every morning with mine. At the age of 13 I met the best person I will ever know. We grew up together, learned life together, and most of all grew together. I always know he will be there for me when I need him, and even when I don't. He is my middle school sweetheart.

I can tell you, there is not an equation for meeting your soul mate or for keeping one for that matter. Every day is not easy, but it is not a reason to give up. Too often I see couples today giving up way too soon. Congratulations to all the couples who have made it through braces, car rides, homecomings, and proms. You truly are an exception to the majority of relationships today. There are so many benefits of being with your high school sweetheart (or in my case middle school sweetheart). This is just a small list of them.

They become built-in your personality and values.

When you are figuring out life in your teenage years, your sweetheart is right there with you. As a couple, you discovered your own values together. You begin formulating similar opinions based on the discussions you have about life events. You had no idea what your political views would be or how to even begin formulating your own opinion. You pick up on their tendencies and begin doing them yourself. You share so many similar experiences because you did them together. They have become your other half, your person, the pea to your pod.

If you can get through the awkward years together, you can get through aything

We spent as much time together as we could, which kept us out of trouble. We did not want to go to parties that got busted, we would rather stay home and watch movie (We were the inventors of the real 'Netflix and Chill') and enjoy each other's company. We learned what we wanted to do in life, and how we would do them together. We always had a date to the dances, it was built in. 8th grade formal, homecomings and proms, we knew we would have a hand to hold walking into the dance.

You can watch each other achieve life goals.

From a young age we helped develop each other's goals, and grew up together to see them be achieved. To be able to see their goals play out together is a truly unique experience. We set goals we could do together, and helped each other achieve them. We graduate high school together, which is a huge milestone into adulthood. They are right there with you, holding your hand through it. Through the changes of high school into college, getting a new job, buying a house and learning how to adult; we learned how to cope with change together. Change becomes normal and seamless with your high school sweetheart. Our goals were changes, but with a positive light reflecting on them.

Our families have melded together.

Holidays are no issue. Our families meet together now because we have all been intermingled for so long. Our families watched both of us grow up and claim us as their own. They see you grow as a couple through the awkward years, and admire your ability to maintain a strong relationship. You love their family as your own through the good and the bad. You feel like you are a member of their family, not just someone's significant other. Both families are one huge family now. It makes planning for holidays so much easier, and more rewarding because you spend more time with everyone you love. They have always accepted your significant other as their own, and your whole family loves them as much as they love you.

We got to focus on our relationship before 'adulting' started.

In middle school and high school, you do not have the worries of bills or expenses. Most importantly, you do not have a job you have to be at. You go to school together, so school is much easier to get yourself to go to. The only stresses you have is homework and figuring out whose parents are going to drive you to your date. You have so much time to focus on your relationship without the stresses of adulting. We did not have to think about how much money we had because our parents were our money trees. The isolation of your relationship is what helps your relationship grow. You get to focus on only each other, which is very unique in high school sweethearts.

We get to brag about it to everyone who doubted us.

When people ask you where you met your spouse, usually you hear "through a mutual friend" "at a bar" or "we had been friends for a while," but how awesome is it to say "I met mine in middle/high school"? When others begin to talk about meeting their significant other, you realize you truly are unique. You get to tell the embarrassing stories about hallway kissing, or how a hall-aid would chase you down if she saw you holding hands. You get to show the awkward photos of when you were kids.

The same people who had tried to throw wrenches in your relationship are now there wanting to hear about your amazing love story. You guys did it, you made it through figuring out who you are, and what you wanted to do in life. You did it together, and you are stronger than most other relationships. Why not brag a little about it? You become what the kids nowadays call "#relationshipgoals."

We are so comfortable now, we communicate so much stronger.

Although it may seem like a burden, you do not hold anything back in your relationship. You are not afraid of telling them what is on your mind. You have learned how to take their complaints and how to discuss issues that have occurred. High school sweethearts are not couples who never fight, they have always fought. Not large blow ups, but little issues that cause turmoil. You learn how to deal with it and how to patch up the hole together as a team. The little disagreements are what makes you stronger, you learn what to expect at a young age and how to battle it. Beginning a relationship at such a young age, you are able to condition each other to make communication much easier. You learn what they do not appreciate in arguments and grow from it. We learn what will push their buttons or what they are sensitive to, because we lived those sensitive moments together.

There are many more reasons why marrying your high school (or middle school) sweetheart is truly wonderful. For me, I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else. It was love at first sight. People thought I was crazy when I was 13 saying "this is the boy I will marry". We made goals and accomplished them together. Wedding planning came easy because we have been talking about it for years. I know we have a lot of life left to live, but thanks to the drama hole called high school, I have a feeling we will be just fine.

The biggest issue we will have is when our kids start dating. A boyfriend at 13? No way. Not happening. They will have to wait until they're 30.