A TikTok clip has gone viral for its description of a couple’s enduring honeymoon-esque love.
The video, posted by Tara Clark, under the username @tara_of_all_trades, shows the woman speaking to the camera for two minutes about how much she loves her husband of 24 years. She says she is obsessed with him. Since it was posted on February 22, the video has received more than 12.2 million views and over 1.8 million likes.
“Everybody said like, ‘That’ll go away’, ‘You’re not going to feel like that’–I don’t know when it’s going to end,” Tara says in the video. “I feel like I just have to tell the world that I’m obsessed with him.”
@tara_of_all_trades/TikTok
Tara, a 46-year-old public defender from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, told Newsweek that she met her husband Christopher, 54, at work over two decades ago. “He stuck up for me in a meeting, and we became friends after that happened and then started dating,” she added.
In her video, Tara says that, after they started dating, Christopher would pay attention to every detail she shared about herself. On their second date, he integrated everything Tara had said she liked, down to her favorite candy, into their time together. In the early days of their relationship, when flowers and chocolate would be standard fare, Christopher would treat her with entire holidays away.
Despite her video, where she describes her husband perfectly, and jokingly says that she is worried he will divorce her, Tara said her bond with her husband is based in mutual admiration. This, she added, is one of the secrets to the couple’s success and love. However, there are other efforts that she and Christopher make to ensure they keep prioritizing one another, especially while raising kids.
“We make an effort for each other as much as we can,” Tara said. “We look nice for each other and get excited to see each other and almost plan our week out.”
This weekly routine, carefully crafted to nurture their relationship, involves dedicated time for connection. “For example, on Sunday, we will say, ‘Monday, after work, let’s talk and catch up with no phones or TV, and Tuesday, watch a show together, and Wednesday, go out to eat,'” Tara said. “We are each other’s best friends, so we do the same things together.”
‘Full Attention’: A Secret to Success
One notable aspect of Tara and Christopher’s relationship is their concept of “FA” or “full attention”; a practice they developed early in their marriage.
The idea is that, if one of them is having a hard day or week, or even just misses the other one, they can “call FA”. This means they will intentionally plan a day or evening of exclusive connection.
“I can say, ‘OK, tonight I just need you to listen or play a board game with me,'” Tara said.
The couple doesn’t rely on FA as often as they did in the earlier days of their marriage, when they were raising young children and busier with friends and work. Now, it serves as more of a symbol of their commitment to prioritizing each other’s emotional needs.
“Now, it’s more fun for us, and it’s just a way of saying, ‘Hey, I am feeling a little down and need some extra attention from you,'” Tara said.
The couple’s story has resonated deeply with both new viewers and old fans of Tara’s husband, Christopher; Tara says in the video that the “internet has fallen in love with him”.
Mostly, though, her video prompted viewers to reflect on their own loves of their lives, showing that a love that endures does not have to become dull or succumb to monotony.
“I feel you,” @kelsismom51 wrote. “We will celebrate 25 years in Oct. He still makes my heart race.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.