Courtesy Aviyah Rosenwasster
The INSIDER Summary:
• Yonaton and Aviyah Atkin met as babies and started passing love notes in sixth grade.
• Now they're married with a son of their own.
• They told INSIDER their most important tip for keeping a long-term relationship healthy.
The story of Aviyah and Yonaton's relationship is a classic tale of boy meets girl ... except that the boy met the girl before either of them could walk or talk.
The Israel-based couple has known each other ever since they were infants, actually: Their parents were close friends and their mothers' pregnancies overlapped — in fact, the women visited each other and introduced their new babies shortly after giving birth.
Now, the pair, both 23, are married with a one-year-old son and still going strong. (And you thought high school sweethearts getting married was wild.)
Aviyah spoke to INSIDER via email to retell their incredible love story, and reveal their best advice for cultivating successful relationships.
True, they met as babies, but their earliest sentient memories of each other date back to kindergarten.
"We were partners for kindergarten graduation," Aviyah told INSIDER. "We practiced our part over and over — some rhyme about brushing our teeth."
Courtesy Aviyah Rosenwasster
"We started carpooling together in fifth grade, and I totally had a crush on him, but didn't really do anything about it because, you know, it's that age — you like boys, but at the same time they are annoying," Aviyah recalled.
By sixth grade, however, Yonaton had started to leave love notes in Aviyah's locker at school.
The nervous crush transformed into a fully-formed partnership by 7th grade — and they've been together ever since. (That's 10 years and counting!)
Courtesy Aviyah Rosenwasster
It was September, and the couple were putting up outdoor decorations for the Jewish holiday Sukkot, standing on the porch of Yonaton's home. Then, suddenly, Yonaton told Aviyah to look out at the view beyond the house. There, in the distance, was a massive sign with two red hearts and a message that said, in Hebrew: "Aviyah, will you marry me?"
"I didn't really process it," she said. "I turned around to tell him that someone was proposing to someone only to find him on his knee with the ring. I almost fainted!"
About nine months later, they were married.
Courtesy Aviyah Rosenwasster
The couple's first son, Elyashiv, was born last October, and the new addition to the family has been joyful — but challenging, too.
"We're both new at this, and we make our mistakes, and are learning new things each and every day. There's been some pressuring times, but I think our common goal of wanting the absolute best for our baby is what gets us through it as a team," Aviyah explained.
Never go to bed mad is like the white t-shirt of love advice — it never goes out of style. Aviyah and Yonaton say it's the secret that keeps their relationship healthy, even after all this time.
"If you have this rule, then you will be forced to talk things out, to communicate — and not just ignore or give the cold shoulder, which is so much easier to do," Aviyah said. "Things come up, there are challenges — but you are a team, and you need to be able to communicate all that you are going through, all that's on your mind."
"We joke around about so many old memories since we share so many, and of course we make fun of each other as well," Aviyah said. "I also love the fact that Yonaton knows where I'm coming from. He knows my parents, my family, my friends, my background — and that makes a huge difference in understanding who I am as a person."
Courtesy Aviyah Rosenwasster
That doesn't mean they've got each other totally figured out, though.
"What's crazy is that even though I've known Yonaton for basically all my life, I find that we are still learning new things about each other," Aviyah added. "And I really like that."
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