Melissa is a South African journalist and the creator of a blog called Mel’s Postbox. She’s also the mother of an 18 month old and married to Leslie, a musician. Passionate about storytelling, Melissa uses her blog to share stories that inspire her as well as tips about writing, content creation and entrepreneurship. For this month’s “Your Stories,” we get to know a bit more about Melissa and Leslie’s relationship such as how it all began and what keeps them going strong.

How long have you been together?

We started dating in October 2012. We got married in December 2013 in Cape Town where our families live. We lived in different cities when we started dating – myself in Port Elizabeth and him in Joburg. I only moved to Joburg at the end of Feb 2015, so we’ve been living together for just over 2 years.

How many children do you have and what are their ages?

Leslie’s eldest daughter, Jodi, is 22. Our second daughter (my firstborn) is Mira; she is 18 months old.

How did having children change/affect your relationship?

Wow… Well, we don’t make much time to be alone as a couple after Mira was born. It is an adjustment to have a baby, but a good one. Mira makes us laugh a lot. It’s nice to see how your partner operates as a parent, being silly.

How did you first meet?

I was working at an arts and culture festival in Oudtshoorn as a journalist and he was a musician at the event. That was in 2009. We kept in contact via social media. Only a few years later we started chatting more and decided to start dating.

What was it about your partner that you were first attracted to?

He is a great storyteller.

Do you do date nights? If so, what do you normally do?

We don’t have date nights. We’ve gone out with friends and recently Leslie had a gig (as I mentioned, he is a musician), so we got a nanny. Mostly, if it’s just the two of us, the night involves music.

What has been one of your most romantic moments together?

Just sitting at home being fired up in a conversation.

What funny quirks does your partner have?

I’d rather not say. One, he calls Mira “Pinky Pong”.

What is your idea of the ‘perfect relationship’?

Being open with each other. Communication is very important – sharing details of your lives with each other. Trusting each other and letting your partner be themselves.