November is a special month for my family, with lots of celebrations. Yesterday was my mom’s birthday and today is my dad’s birthday, and next week these two lovebirds will celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary. And my grandmother said their marriage would never last… You see, he was an unabashed bad boy with a leather jacket and a motorcycle, and she was the deacon’s daughter. When she ran off with him right after her high-school graduation, her family pretty much washed their hands of her. But together, they made an amazing life for themselves and their children, and I don’t think either of them has ever regretted the choices they made. My grandmother may still look at my dad with a jaundiced eye, but I think even she has to acknowledge that he and my mom are a perfect match.
I’m sure that hearing their story is just part of the reason why I love to read and write romance, and why I’m such a complete sucker for happy endings. So when I was invited to write a story for the Dressed to Thrill mini-series, I knew I had to have my heroine elope with her hero, even if they weren’t destined to have their own happily-ever-after…at least not right away. HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS is a November release, and gives me another reason to celebrate this month!
Do you have a special love story that you’d like to share? If so, I’d love to hear it. If you post a comment or share your story, I’ll give away a full, autographed set of the Dressed to Thrill Blaze books to a randomly selected winner!
Also, just a reminder that my Dressed to Thrill Twitter spin-off story is now underway and you can read it at the Tweet Tweet Love Website.
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When I think of a love story my parents frequently come to mind. They were married a week short of 50 years when my father passed away. How they met is unique in some ways. My grandparents on both sides decided to introduce mom and dad to each other. Although my grandparents lived in the same town and knew each other my parents were 5 years apart in age and went to different schools so they didn’t really know each other. One day my mom’s parents sent mom over to dad’s house saying they wanted her to meet someone (who turned out to be my dad) and when she got there he was on the roof of the house with a telescope viewing the stars and she was really intrigued by him and thus began a life long love affair. One thing you must remember about this story is that it took place in the late 1930s when life was very different.
Ellen, what a wonderful story!! And how nice that her parents approved the match even before they met! My mom first met my dad when he came home for shore leave from the Navy. He was her best friend’s older brother and she says that for her, it was love at first sight. Initially, he wanted nothing to do with her as she was so young. But she persisted and the rest is history..
I can’t think of a special love story off the top of my head. My family does have several long lasting marriages, but I haven’t heard many stories about how they met. I’m still waiting for my own love story!
I chaperoned a high school party last night, and it brought so many memories back to me…my husband and I met in high school, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many of these kids might find themselves together for life.
Don’t really have a love story to share, but I think my grandparents marriage is amazing. They’ve been married 55 years, though they get on each others nerves they love each deeply.
Nicole, my grandparents were married for nearly 65 years, and most of the time they seemed to drive each other crazy, too, but I know they were completely devoted to each other.
Well Happy B-day & Anniversary to your parents!!!
When my mom meet my dad, she told her mother that he was the one… he told every girl he dated that he never went out with anyone more than 6 months… after their first date, it took him a month before he contacted her again… well they have been together since! 
What a great story, Colleen!
All the best to you and your family with all the celebrations. It is SO good to celebrate, no matter the reason.
As for your question, I automatically think of my own love story. I was 21 and dating someone else; DH (then 31) knew my family and my boyfriend. Broke up with BF. Soon thereafter met DH on the street Labour Day weekend (well … I saw his car so I loitered until he came out of the restaurant and conveniently bumped into him). He offered me a ride to my mom’s house, where I was visiting, and then asked me to the show. We dated each weekend and an occasional weeknight, always talking on the phone. He bought my engagement ring in October and presented it to me on Christmas Day in front of my parents (while we were still in our pj’s). My MOM said yes, that I would marry him! I said I would think about it, as I was only 21 and didn’t see that coming. Obviously said yes later (3 days, rather than 2-week deadline I had imposed).
My best friend said not to marry him. He’s too old (actually, he’s just right). He still lives at home with his parents (paying their bigger bills for them and helping around the house, allowing them to live there much longer than they could afford with 5 younger siblings living there too). He won’t be good with children (he babysat many nephews and nieces through the years, plus was a babysitter for many families in his teens). You won’t have anything in common (quite the contrary, actually). He’ll be too set in his ways (but has always respected my opinions and acted upon them). The list went on and on. I married DH the following July when his plant had their annual shutdown (or we would have had to wait another year for him to get enough time off for a honeymoon).
DH and I celebrated our 28th anniversary this summer. Yes, there were tough times, especially when the kids were small (I wanted 4 kids; he wanted 0-1; we compromised on 2 so didn’t have a “lonely child”.) Once we got past that, though, things have only improved. We are so lucky to have found each other. My family or his family is OUR family; there’s no distinction (other than in jest). We hold hands when walking down the street or in the mall. We kiss each other goodbye. I hold meals until 7:30 pm so we can all eat together to make him feel more like he’s a part of the family (as he works 12-hr shifts that are very tough on him physically) — unless we have other commitments, of course. We are there for each other in every sense. Our bodies are falling apart (whose aren’t?), so we “cover” each other’s weaknesses without hesitation. Yes, we argue, but then it’s over with and we’re kissing (pinching? teasing?) each other once again. Life goes on, but it sure feels better sharing it with those you love.
Aw, Laney…it sounds like you two were meant for each other! And yes, life is so much better when you can share it with someone you love. I keep thinking of the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It really makes you realize how short life is, and how important it is to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you. Thank you for sharing your story!
What a lovely post. Happy Birthday and Anniversary to your parents. I don’t have a story to share, but it’s nice to hear about people who are still happily married for all these years.
Thank you, Jane!
well while i don’t consider my own story overly snazzy, i think my parents story is sweet. when i mom was in high school (my dad working selling newspapers for his dad) they met, and my mom never tires of saying how they met when she ran next door to the church where he was selling papers, bare foot in the snow. *G* they’ve been happy and in love ever since
What a great story, Karen! My parents met in a pretty interesting way. My mom was a flight attendant based in Miami, and she was coming home from a flight. Some of her friends were having a party and she needed someone to pick her up from the airport. Well, the host of the party couldn’t leave to pick up my mom, so he looked around for the tallest man at the party and that was my dad. My mom’s 5′9″ and my dad’s 6′5″, so it was a good fit.
They’ve been married 49 years. 
Gannon, what a great story! Did the host have a particular reason for choosing the tallest man at the party? Was it so that your mother would be able to spot him easily at the airport? Did you inherit their height? My 12-year old daughter is already 5′9″, so maybe this is a strategy we’ll use in the future, LOL! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Karen,
This was a lovely post, and a wonderful question to ask.
I would have to say that my own story of how I met my husband would have to be one to share. I met my husband as a penpal. Honestly, I did. The old fashioned way, pen to paper. I was always a letter writer. At one time I had 33 penpals all over the world.
My dear sweet friend Janean, who I just lost less than a month ago to Leukemia, had recieved a letter from a young man named Jason who wanted to be penpals with her. Janean was married by that time and her husband would not let her write to male pen pals. Normally, she destroyed those letters as soon as she got them, but for some reason she did not destroy Jason’s. Instead she saved it and gave it to me. I wrote to Jason that same day, as I needed a destraction in my life. At that time in my life I was facing the very real possibility of losing my only brother to cancer. My family was under unimaginable stress, I was scared that my life would change in ways I never wanted to imagine. And I was fast losing faith in God and in the medical profession as a whole. So I wrote to Jason to give my mind something constructive to do.
Jason answered my letter. And in my second letter to him I found myself spilling my fears and concerns to a virtual stranger. God listened carefully to what I was obviously in need of. Because he sent me Jason as proof that I was not alone. I guess I should tell you here that I live in Pennsylvania and Jason lived in California at that time. Not exactly close. I can only say that it was entirely God’s decision to bring Jason & I together. Here is the kicker to this story. Jason was just the person I needed to have in my life. Jason told me in his second letter that he was a survivor of the same type of cancer my brother had! I knew that he was not lying to me. There is no way that a person can speak of that whole process of diagnosis, treatment and healing – including drug names- without going through it themselves. It’s personal, it’s painful and it’s damaging to your psyche. Jason told me to believe. To have faith, and to pray. He stood beside me in spirit and he helped me through that very dark period of time. He gave new meaning to the word ‘friend’. For that I loved him.
The letters became phone calls, the phone calls gave way to a visit. And when he stepped off that plane Thanksgiving Day of 1996 he had an engagement ring with him. The rest is history. We will be married 11 years this December. Together 13 years total. We have had our ups and downs (especially this year). But we always return to the basic fact that we love each other.
I should tell you all that my husband and my brother are both alive and well today, and quite good friends. Proof again that God works in mysterious ways. Can anyone else explain how else I found the man of my dreams 3,000 away, sight unseen?
-Pam
Pamela, that is an amazing, incredible story. My deepest sympathies to you on the loss of your dear friend. I would say that your story demonstrates that God really does work in mysterious ways! I wish you and Jason many more years of happiness together!
It’s so funny… when I read the story about your parents, I had to laugh because that reminds me of the two characters I created in the Blaze I’ve submitted. Talk about your extreme Good Girl/Bad Boy pairings. I do love them so.
I think my favorite love story belongs to a couple who are friends of my family. They’re both older, knew each other for a long time when they were younger, married other people (bad, bad, bad marriages), had kids, grew older, went through divorces and somehow bumped into each other again. They’re now easily approaching 70s and they’re still the couple that hold hands when they’re walking down the sidewalk together, sit on the same side of a booth, giggle like two teenagers, and steal kisses when they think nobody is looking.
It sounds funny to say that they’re the happiest romantic couple I can find around me, but it’s true. They went through hell to find it, but they make you believe that — no matter what — you will find it.
Julie
Wow…what a story! I have an aunt who had a similar situation. She was in love with her college sweetheart but felt they were too young to get married, so they went their separate ways. He married another woman and had two children, but the marriage didn’t last. He and my aunt saw each other years later at a reunion and realized they were still in love, and now they’ve been happily married for 35 years. I love happy endings.
My in-laws! They grew up in a small Hungarian village. They first noticed an attraction at a dance. However, after WW11 happened, they were seperated, when their families were forced out of Hungary and transported to Germany, where German families took them in. Years later they found each other! They took a ship across the Atlantic in November of 1951. (Laura 18yo, Al 21yo) The trip was so rough that Laura almost died from nausea and vomiting. They settled in Milwaukee where they were married for 55 years! Laura died of cancer 2 years ago. They shared such a loving relationship. He has really struggled without her.
Laurie, this is such a romantic story! I can picture this as a movie…I’m so glad they found each other again and were able to have so many years together.
Karen, first I have to say I just read Hold on to the Nights and I loved it! It makes me with my hubby has a scottish accent, lol!
This is a wonderful post, I think there are so many wonderful stories out there. My husband and my story is a little different. We met at my sisters house while we were helping her pack up to move. My husband worked for my brother in law at the time and him and a bunch of other guys from their unit came over to help. That night while moving a bed I hit my husband in a place no man wants to get hit with the matteress. I thought for sure he thought I was aweful. A couple of weeks later we went on a double date with my best friend and his buddy. A month after that he asked me to marry him and I said yes of course. We were married two months later and we just celebrated our tenth anniversary. Everyone said we wouldnt last cause we barely knew each other, but here we are even more in love now then ever. Sometimes its just right.
Alina, thank you for sharing your story! That is too funny about how you accidentally hit him, but he obviously didn’t mind too much! Congratulations on your tenth anniversary!
And thank you so much for the nice words about Hold on to the Nights! I know what you mean about the Scottish accent…
The winner of the autographed set of Dressed to Thrill books is…Colleen!! Please send your mailing address to me at karenefoley@comcast.net, and I’ll put these into the mail for you!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by!
Oh My!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I am doing a happy dance! Sending my info to you… thanks again!