Patrick and I are so fortunate to call this beautiful couple our dear friends. Chas and Pat met playing lacrosse for the University of Maryland club team our freshman year. I was introduced to Chas’ enthusiastic self once Pat and I started dating and could see immediately how close they were. Where Patrick is calm and a little quiet, Chas is energetic and loud. A proven great fit for best friends.

After graduation, we visited Chas at his new home in NYC. He talked the whole weekend about this awesome new girl he was dating and how he was so into her. Her name was Meghan. When we met her for brunch on our last morning in the city, she actually lived up to his hype. She was kind, calm, positive, and creative. After one meal it was evident to Pat and I that this, she, was it for Chas.

The next time we saw him (the way of long distance friendships, unfortunately) was at… you guessed it, their wedding. He and Meghan tied the knot on a beautiful winter day in Raleigh, moved from NYC to North Carolina, bought a home, and started their lives as a new little family.

And our most recent visit was most exciting of all. A couple years after that winter wedding day, they are preparing to welcome their first child, a boy, into their life. A weekend spent with them left no question in my mind that this child is in for a beautiful life with them as parents.

On our drive home from Charlotte, their new home city, Pat and I couldn’t stop talking about how inspired we felt after spending just a couple days with them. They are warm, open, faithful, optimistic, enthusiastic, and incredibly in love. In a world filled with so much negativity and criticism, they are a bright light to witness and their power is amplified together. I’ve never seen two people cheer so hard for each other. If you want to feel great about life and the future, call them. They truly make this world a better place and we can’t believe our luck that we get to witness it.