Melissa & Greg

Hello!

By way of introduction, our names are Greg and Melissa. We hope this letter finds you well and happy. We understand that you are beginning, or considering the potential to begin, a new journey in life. A journey that is not going to be easy by any means and requires an extraordinary amount of bravery. This is a journey we admire and respect, and we know that we will never fully be able to understand or relate to it. Our hope and desire is to foster support and encouragement in a way that will be helpful to you. To that end, we’d be happy to have as open a relationship with you as you’re interested in; of course, we’d respect your wishes if you weren’t comfortable with such an open relationship. We hope this letter is just a start to that openness that leads to a supportive relationship.

A little bit about us. We met in Washington, DC almost 12 years ago and became fast friends. We actually worked together and both lived in the city, so hanging out after work or over the weekends came naturally. We enjoyed a lot of the same things (e.g., hiking, exploring the city, food, music, theater), we held the same beliefs, and never had trouble finding something to talk or laugh about. We came to rely on each other for someone to talk to, to laugh with or even a shoulder to cry on. As time went on, we realized our friendship was not something we wanted to live without and that those feelings went much deeper. We were engaged in 2016 and moved to Charleston, SC shortly after. We were then married in 2017 here in Charleston, and we celebrated with our immediate families, holding a reception in our own backyard.

We both work from home full-time and would be able to provide the needed care for a child in the near term, as well as finding quality care/schooling for the child once they are older. We love to travel around the US and abroad, finding new places to hike and explore. We do not plan for this to change going forward and want to introduce a child to the same wonders and experiences we have had the privilege to enjoy.

We did attempt for several years to try to have a baby, but were not successful. Although that was disappointing for us to accept, we knew that we still had a lot of love to give and a strong desire to raise a child as part of our family. We have a lot of support from our families, among whom a child would have two sets of loving grandparents, four pairs of aunts and uncles, and six cousins ranging in age from 7 to 19. One side of the family lives in Michigan and the other in Texas/Kansas. They would also have the love of a half brother that lives with his mother in Michigan.

This letter is only a small piece of us and our life together, but hopefully it gives a glimpse into our family. Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and we wish you all the best as you embark on your new journey!

(Family ID# 2087051)