I was walking the rainy streets of Barcelona with a girl I had just met. It was a Wednesday, and little did I know, I was 45 seconds away from seeing my future.

As we crossed the street, the clouds parted, and the first ray of sunshine kissed the face of this comfortable stranger. When it did, in one fluid motion, she stopped, closed her eyes, titled up her head and smiled — and I was finally present to see all the beauty that existed in the world.

It lasted all of a second, but sometimes that’s all it takes.

For in that moment, I was me, and she was her, and it was enough for our worlds to collide.

I think about the day I met my future often.

I think about how I had never seen anything more beautiful.

I think about how for the first time in my life someone had the power to make my heart race while simultaneously slow down my breathing.

I also think about what paths each of us had to have taken for that moment to exist.

For 32 years we lived on our own.

For 32 years we lived very different lives in very different worlds.

However, for 32 years we also took the unknown steps that would ultimately lead us to one day stand together.

A million things could have happened for that moment not to exist.

If I hadn’t had the nerve to leave a life I wasn’t happy living in the US we never would have met.

If she hadn’t followed her curiosity to Ireland after university to learn English we never would have met.

If I hadn’t made an impression on someone who sent me to her building that day we never would have met.

If she hadn’t mustered up the courage to ask me to grab a bite to eat we would have never met.

If I hadn’t stopped drinking.

If she hadn’t had the strength to leave good in search of great.

If I hadn’t.

If she hadn’t.

But on that October Wednesday, some eight years ago, all the things we had done to comfortably stand alone as strangers, ultimately led us to stand together as one.

Chocolate is incredible.

It stands on its own.

Peanut Butter is incredible.

It stands on its own.

However, I’ll be damned if Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups aren’t better.

Today marks the day we have been married for 7 years.

Here’s to the sun Little One — look under your pillow.

CTA — Be like my Little One today and take a moment to breathe.

Then. Be Curious. Be Couragous. Be Strong. Be You.