A disagreement of three decades
Vietnam and New York, our worlds were very far apart. For me, the camp meant refugee sites, ration lines; For Adam, summer and water sports. After we met in college, he gave me my first bouquet. I plucked flowers from his gift (and the university grounds) to create my own bouquet for him. “You don't repackage a gift,” he said. “Why spend money?” I replied. It took us 30 years as a couple to finally agree that both things are true: a gift should not be re-gifted, but once given, it is no longer yours. Now we have moved on to new disagreements! — Oanh Ngo Usadi
'Flaws add depth'
I wear her sweater once, sometimes twice, a week. It is light gray, woolly and worn, with a delicate hole in the neck. My friends say it's poor quality and often ask me why I keep it after she and I broke up. In these moments, I hear her honeyed voice reminding me that damaged does not mean condemned. Flaws add depth. “How lucky we are,” she used to say, “that our flaws give us stories worth sharing.” I consider our handleless coffee pot, our worn-out books, and his parting gift: a sweater full of holes that makes me feel at home. — Riley McKinney
What will last?
They say: Your brain is dying, dad. You will forget how to calculate the angles of a carpentry project, cut a grapefruit, change the oil in your truck, salute the flag, play with your grandchildren, recognize your girlfriend, tell us that you love us. You say: you will live with Alzheimer's gracefully. You'll learn new skills: how to live in a smaller house, how to get around without driving, how to let other people help you. They say: You will not forget the feeling of love. I say: we will never let you forget that you are loved. — Lena Sunada-Matsumura Newlin
trusting my instinct
On our sixth date, we went hiking on an unseasonably warm 60-degree January day. After hours of walking, we split up to shower before dinner. I checked the weather at my house, across town from his apartment. The snow was approaching. The smartest option for working the next day would be to call it a night. But I went. When we woke up, the world was covered in white. I knew I had to go home. But something told me to stay and work remotely from home, wearing a sweatshirt and yesterday's makeup. That was the day we fell in love. — Zoe Abraham
