“We are students in Louisiana and are taking a little vacation at the beach. We met working at a coffee shop and were friends before we dated.

I grew up Southern Baptist. I went to church three days a week and attended a private Christian school. I was sheltered and knew nothing about the world and how it works. I didn’t understand why we believe what we believe, just that we believed. My questions and doubts about religion gave me anxiety and depression. I felt I wasn’t a good enough Christian and that my faith wasn’t strong enough. Everyone else believed so strongly, so they must be right.

I went to college and found more freedom to think and question. I feared rejection by my family and friends for no longer accepting everything. But I reached the point where I can love God and have my own opinions. A relationship with God is personal, not based on what things look like on the outside, so I stopped worrying about what others think. I have grace and love for others, but learning how to give that to myself helps with my anxiety and getting out of my comfort zone. There is a lesson in everything.”

Anna

“I drunk-texted Anna one night and confessed my feelings. It was going to happen one way or another, but the alcohol helped it out. She liked me too and told me to come over and talk about it.

I am a cradle Catholic, but I lost faith in some of the beliefs I was raised on. I left the church my junior year. There were repercussions and I am still figuring it out. I am driven by goals and plans for the future, but I am trying to live in today. That is why we are here.”

Brady