Michael caught Chad’s eye as Chad was perusing profiles, looking for love on OkCupid. Chad wrote Michael a message expressing his interest but was met with the response, “You seem interesting, but you have cats. And I have bad allergies. I don’t think it would work.” This was February of 2013. However, six months later, it was Michael who reached out to Chad, explaining that, despite his allergies, his therapist had encouraged him to listen to his gut and try connecting with Chad.
As he would later write in a card to Michael, Chad was looking for a “counterweight love nugget” and knew within fifteen minutes of meeting Michael that he would marry him. It took Michael a few years longer to warm to the idea, he having lived eight years abroad and still being filled with such wanderlust. But with time and honey, he grew in desire to put down roots and build a life filled with sparkles.
As they got to know each other, they came to know their spirit animals and built a mythology and home around them. Despite his cat allergies, Michael fell in love with Chad’s joie-filled feline spirit, calling him Sparkle Tiger. Chad got stuck in Michael’s sweet demeanor, naming him Honey Bear. Through tender paws and open hearts, they explored together their intimacy and the depths of human experience.
Chad and Michael respectively don their tiger and bear slippers and create home for each other. Michael serenades Chad as he cooks and does yoga. Their house full of song and home-cooked meals has become a welcoming space for beloved friends and family.
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We’re so grateful for this life we’re building together and that we’re able to share it with our community.
🐯 💛 🐻
Now to celebrate with you
🐻💛🐯💍🐾
