I hired a married tile installer Sara (names changed), to help me time warp my bathroom to the present day.  I always ask couples how they met and how their lives work–I figure I may learn something.  So one day when I was working from home and she was finishing up, she chatted about her wife, Aisling.  Now it’s a different orientation from mine, but as we who are sane all know, love is love is love.  Her story was the most romantic thing I’ve heard all year.  And I thought, this is what it should look like—what love should look like.

When the holidays hit, it’s easy to feel that twinge of `gee it’d be great to share all the holidays with a guy’.  I offer these romantic shorts to remind us all the level of love we deserve.

Stuart and Maria

Stuart is a young man who may be in his early 30’s but has the energy of a five year old.  Everything he approaches is done with humor and a lively open mind.  His young wife of several years, Maria is more reserved with a sharp wit and a lovely, wry smile.  There was some serendipitous thing that could have prevented them from getting together—like if she didn’t go back for her change at a coffee shop.  When I jokingly asked Stuart what would have happened then, he didn’t joke back.  Instead he become completely serious and said emphatically, “Well there’s no one else for me other than Maria, so we were meant to be together.” They’re happily expecting twins in February.

Sara and Aisling

Sara and Aisling met at a singles tennis outing.  Sara tells that when they moved in they both had mismatched sets of everyday flatware.  Aisling’s set had a few newer, shinier pieces, which she preferred.  When Sara would set their table for a meal, she’d search for those shiny forks and knives to set in Aisling’s place.  When they got married, they received a full set of flatware—shiny and new.  Sara says that because she knows it pleases Aisling, she still finds herself about to look for the shiny pieces for Aisling—even though now all their flatware is new.  They’ve been together happily for over 15 years.

Michael and May (my grandparents, actually)

My grandmother met my grandfather, a Yale undergrad, when they were at a mutual family friend’s house for dinner.  He wanted to ask her to the Beaux Arts Ball for their first date.  He was at Yale on full scholarship and worked as a busboy for book/living money.  He saved up for the tickets and he and May, my grandmother-to-be had, well, a ball.  But he didn’t have enough money to take the bus home, so he walked over six miles in the snow back to his dorm.  He didn’t tell her about it until she asked much later.  They had over 65 years together and they’d still bust out a cake walk dance together remembering that ball–well into their 80’s.

When you go online, when you go to that event, when you meet a guy—remember this is what it should looks like, this is what you deserve.