Nelson Long and Alison Smith were two weeks away from their wedding when they visited the Chicago StoryCorps booth in August. Both Nelson and Alison are children of divorce, and both have a parent who is gay. Alison grew up as a preacher’s daughter in southern Illinois and Nelson grew up in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. They had very different childhoods, but the experience they share is an important part of their relationship.

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to share, record and preserve their stories. These excerpts, edited by WBEZ, present some of our favorites from the current visit, as well as from previous trips.