Move over high school sweethearts because we discovered a couple who found love in preschool! Yep. Matt Grodsky and Laura Sheel met when both of them were just three years old.
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From friends to best friends to spouses, the young couple learned how to navigate going to different schools, long-distance relationships and much more. All of this happened because of a simple coincidence that forced their paths together after years apart.
The Beginning
This love story started 25 years ago in the colourful halls of a preschool in Phoenix, Arizona. Matt and Laura were just three years old. Both of them don’t actually know the exact day they met, it just felt like they had always been in each other’s lives.
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“I don’t remember the first time I saw her, but she was always a girl who let me follow her around.” Matt later said. The two immediately became friends and would spend all their time together.
Park Dates
While Matt was busy being in awe of Laura, she had a different opinion. From the start, she thought of him as a total goofball. She actually had no idea why he followed her around all day but he made her laugh and was kind to her, so she went along with it.
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But hanging out all day in pre-school wasn’t enough it seems. Matt and Laura both urged their parents to arrange playdates with each other and soon, the two of them were happy movie nights and park dates.
The Next Step
On one such movie night, where the, now, best friends were watching a “scary” movie Matt even grabbed Laura’s hand to comfort her. One of the first signs in the toddler’s young relationship that hinted at what was to come next.
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Of course, at the time this was an innocent gesture with no other implications and with each passing day, the kids began getting closer and closer. To the point that both their parents were certain that the two were meant to be.
A Year Later
Preschool whizzed by with the duo being the centre of attention around their friends. Everyone, from grown-ups to their friends teased them about their friendship but Laura and Matt recall the time differently.
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For them, it wasn’t the start of some romantic courtship but just the two of them getting to know each other and enjoying each other’s company. They did what most regular friends do like collecting Pokemon cards and playing on the swings together.
In Awe Of Her
One sweet thing that Laura distinctively remembers, which embarrasses Matt completely, is the young man reciting lines from The Lion King to impress his new friend. Laura also taught Matt how to use the swings “properly and how to eat string cheese the right way!
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To say that young Matt was in awe of the independent, smart and confident Laura would be an understatement. And he wanted to let the whole world know how he felt about his best friend.
The Big Declaration
One day, many years ago, with the confidence of a young child Matt claimed to his whole class that he was going to marry Laura one day. The four-year-old didn’t even know what it meant but he knew that he wanted to be with Laura forever.
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When he was met with a wall of laughter and an embarrassed Laura, Matt was unfazed saying “Just you wait!”. Little did he know that their blossoming relationship was about to find itself in its first test.
Next Stage
With Preschool finished, the duo was soon ready to face the first challenge in their relationship – starting kindergarten. Matt and Laura got enrolled in different schools and the young tots who once saw each other daily were swiftly separated.
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That didn’t stop both of them from demanding that their parents set up frequent playdates with each other every weekend. They even hosted their birthday parties together but then life got busier and busier.
Drifting Apart
Both parents couldn’t manage driving back and forth at their kid’s demands and the playdates became infrequent and the bond between the children began to falter. Laura and Matt both got busy with their own full schedules, making new friends and memories.
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And before they even realized it, the two barely saw each other. Though, they still managed to take this adorable Christmas Card Photo together with a whole group of their friends. But sadly, this warm memory became their last together.
New Lives
Where once the two had endless playdates and activities, now their schedules were full of homework, extra-curricular activities for school and making new friends in their own respective schools which were in different counties.
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The deep bond the two shared all but disappeared. Several years passed and the two old friends no longer even remembered their sweet time together in preschool. This love story seemed to have ended before it even got started.
High School
Before they knew it, nearly 10 years had passed and Matt and Laura were ready to start high school. Just as it had happened before, both of them enrolled in different schools because of their addresses and started developing their own separate identities.
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But little did they know that both of them were hurtling themselves towards each other and soon going to reunite. It all started during Freshman year when Laura and her friend were just hanging out.
A Familiar Face
The two teenage girls were gossiping about guys, as most would expect but Laura’s tone shifted when she saw a familiar face on her friend’s phone. Laura couldn’t quite place where she had seen this boy!
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But when her friend told her his name, all the memories flooded back again. It was Matt Grodsky and he was actually really good friends with her friend – they both had known each other since middle school. And Suddenly, the world got much smaller for these preschool lovebirds.
A MatchMaker
Laura went on and recounted all that she remembers about Matt and how he had proposed to her when they were in preschool. And after she was done, Laura decided it was just a childish fantasy and moved on.
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But her friend had other ideas! She wanted to play matchmaker and after a few hours, she had convinced Laura to let her give her number to Matt! Laura didn’t think there was any chance that Matt would even remember her!
Convicining Her
Laura told People, “I was a freshman in high school so I was like, ‘I don’t think so!’” But while Laura was sure that it was a bad idea to get in touch with Matt, the duo’s mutual friend could clearly see that they would make a good couple. She had known both Matt and Laura for a while.
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And now knowing about their preschool romance and friendship, she was sure that she had to do something to get these two back in touch. So, she called Matt and told him everything that had happened and asked if he wanted Laura’s number.
Hitting It Off
Of course, Matt was equally confused and caught off guard but he was also excited. He had never forgotten about Laura and to think that after so many years apart they could finally reconnect in such an unexpected way.
He nervously called Laura, expecting it to be an awkward conversation but it was anything but that. The two seemed to hit it off instantly and it was like they were best friends again. Soon, the two set up a date and well, the rest is history.
Another Milestone
Laura and Matt had a fairy tale perfect the first date and knew that their relationship was serious from the start. The couple dated throughout High School and despite not living close together and having different social circles, they made it work.
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They went to Prom together and enjoyed every new milestone but then four years had passed and it was ready to head to college. “Right after we graduated from high school, we were pretty hesitant,” said Laura in an interview with People. “We were like, ‘Do we stay together? Do we try to make it work?’
Long Distance
After finding each other after so many years apart, the couple decided to take the risk and do long-distance. Laura went to Northern Arizona University, Matt moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College. They were now 1,600 miles away from each other.
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And as so many other couples can attest to it, this time in their relationship was tough. At one point, the couple wasn’t able to see each other for 6 months! But both of them were committed to making it work.
Special Date
Finally, after another four years – both of them graduated college and to celebrate it, Matt had a certain date in mind. “I convinced Laura that we were going to a picnic at the preschool. We had just finished up our junior year of college, so I framed it as a nice relaxing date,” Matt told the Huffington Post.
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In fact, this was all a ruse and Matt had a different plan in mind. 20 years had passed since the couple had first met in preschool and while they had found each other again, Matt thought that they were ready for the next step.
Will You Marry Me?
After the picnic, Matt got down on one knee and asked his girl to marry him. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this happening?’ Laura recounted. “I saw the ring and was like, this is gorgeous. I’m so happy with it.’ I had no idea,” she told People.
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And of course, she said, “YES!”. Matt was overjoyed. He had told everyone that he wanted to marry Laura in this playground decades ago and now finally, this childhood declaration was turning into a reality.
Getting Married
“I proposed to her at the place it all began … our preschool classroom,” Matt proudly recalled to the Huffington Post. He added, “When you like someone, you just kind of stand up and say it.”
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Matt and Laura officially wed on December 30, 2016, at the Arizona Historical Society. Matt’s uncle officiated their marriage explained their romance perfectly “For most kids in preschool, it’s about finding your snacks and your sleeping mats, but for them, it was about finding their soulmates.”
What’s Next for the Grodskys?
Married life has been treating the couple very well, with both of them still deeply in love with each other. “The best thing about our relationship is we are just silly and we appreciate each other every day,” they told People.
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Matt and Laura still live in their home state of Arizona where Matt works as an account executive at a digital marketing agency and Laura works for a non-profit that helps foster children. The two also bought their first home together.
Next Chapter
The couple became parents… pet parents and got an adorable puppy named Kirby and they plan on growing their family even more. “We would love to have kids at some point,” Laura said in an interview with People. “Right now we are focused on our new puppy Kirby and our new house.”
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After all these years and having gone through the ups and downs of life together, Laura and Matt are stronger than ever. They both continue to value each other and never forget how life brought them together, proving that true love still exists.