The key to our happiness, I think, is that we both share a commitment to enriching our relationship. This commitment began long before Carole and I married. In fact, for me, it began when I was first locked inside a prison. Back then, I envisioned what I wanted for my life upon my release. I knew that I did not want to live as a criminal. To overcome the bad decisions I had made in my early 20s, I believe that I would have to educate myself. By educating myself, I felt as if I could create more opportunities to enrich my life and contribute to the lives of others.

I did not anticipate I would find the woman to whom I would pledge my life, but the preparations I made through my prison adjustment made it possible for Carole and me to reconnect. She has inspired me ever since. Other prisoners who serve time by the hour rather than with a long-term focus miss opportunities to prepare themselves. That lack of preparation does not lead them into relationships with women that can withstand the challenges of confinement.

I’m blessed with Carole’s magnificent love, though I feel convinced that through my early prison adjustment, I willed her into my life. Ever since then, by working together we’ve been able to make our marriage thrive.