Cindee, what a great post. My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th year anniversary on June 18th. We still hug, hold hands and say "I love you" quite often. Our 2 boys get a smile on their little faces when my husband and I tease each other infront of them. After so many years my husband still makes my heart flip when he gives me that special smile meant only for me.

In Aug Ralph and I will be married 45 years, and I still think HE is the sexiest man alive. :o) We started going "steady" I was 15 and he was 16 and on our first date we had to take a bus to the movies, because he didn't drive yet.

Hubby and I met on the internet. I was still living in NY and had just gotten accepted to a law school down here.....they made me a good offer I just couldn't refuse :-) Anyway when I realized that I was moving to a new state where I knew no one I went online to make friends. Matty started chatting me up and we chatted all the time. He was such a gentleman and so intelligent....I could tell from our chats. Then I moved to Florida. Well when I got here and started school I became very busy and made new friends. I had never met anyone from online before and was very hesistant about meeting a man from online. So he kept asking and I kept saying no. Then the hurricanes struck (Wilma and Katrina)....my school was closed for over week ...as it was towards the end of the semester I finished all of my work in the time off we had from school. I was bored and Matty asked me out again. He asked me to go for dinner, I said no (dinner was too long what if I didn't like him and he creeped me out)...he asked for coffee (being difficult I said I don't drink coffee)....finally he asked if I wanted to go for ice cream....now I can always go for ice cream so I said yes. So he picked me up and we went out for ice cream....we had a good time...he was sweet and such a gentleman. When we got back to the house I asked him if he wanted to see my baby :-) You should have seen his face just drop...but being the gentleman that he is...he said sure....so I went into my room and picked up my baby and carried her out to meet him....then I put her on the ground and she ran over to him and he bent down and played with her. After he got her approval I agreed to see him again. If you haven't figured it out yet...my baby was my Bulldog :-) And thats how it started. I was till busy with school so it was awhile before I could see him again and never for very long.....during finals he would drive 30 minutes just to kiss me goodnight. So to get some more of my time and to be alone.....our fourth date was to the Bahamas...he actually never told me where we were going....I was freaking the whole time before we left thinking he could be a murderer or something as I had just met him....I asked him to cancel the tickets but he wouldn't...said he would just have faith that I would go with him......how could I say no to that :-) I could go on but I will stop here.

Heheh, nytrinigemini! I have a somewhat similar story! I met my husband online, chatting, as well. I was in Philly, PA and he lived in Tampa, Fl
I started using ICQ to make friends and would send random messages to chat with people...On Valentine's day, in 2001(just a coincidence, and not because it was Valentine's day), I sent a random Hi and Michael (he was at work then) responded.
We chatted for 6 months and then I moved to Tampa to go to USF...
We have been married for 3 years (married on Valentine's day, to "consolidate" the holidays, how Michael calls it)

And one of our first few dates was in USF Botanical Garden! I still have pictures of us sitting in orchid conservatory - and I did not own or grow a single orchid then :)

Olya

DH and I have our 39th anniversary coming up this year. He is my love, my soul mate. He makes me laugh, always has. He encourages me and inspires me to grow as a person.

It is important to communicate and demonstrate love. There are many ways of saying I love you. We don't know what tomorrow may bring, each day is a new day to love, love and love.

FlowerLady

1973. I was in college and hanging out with a great group of people - many are still friends 30+ years later even tho we live all over the country. One of the guys and I had become really good friends and decided maybe we should 'go out'. Felt a little like dating my brother but I gave it a try. Well a couple hours into this very first date, he found out his best friend had just gotten back to town that day and had been trying to reach him. "Oh you'll love this guy!" he said. So we went to find him. Well, Chuck was right. I just loved this guy. A brilliant, hippie, ski bum with a broken down van and holes worn in his cowboy boots. The three of us stayed up talking all night, then Jim and I dropped Chuck off the next morning before we went to breakfast. A couple years later, Chuck was the best man at our wedding and remains one of our closest friends to this day. We are godparents to his daughter Kate who graduates from college in a month.

Jim and I have been married 33 years and can still talk all night when he's not doing his Tall Silent Swede act. He's my best friend and the support at the center of my life.

Kate

These love stories are all great and touch my heart.

Blessings on all of you and may your love just keep growing stronger, and deeper, keep having fun together, and lovingly support each other whatever comes your way.

Hugs ~ FlowerLady

Well............I met Dennis on line too, through a mutual friend on line. I was given my first computer by my mother. At the time she was 78/79 and had serious health issues. I quit my job in Naples and took a PT job in North Fort Myers for 6 months so I could stay with my Mom and take care of her. In an on-line Care Givers Forum, I met this wonderful lady. It was a hard time for me financially and emotionally. I had no other family here to help us out. Annie was a Vietnam Vet nurse and belonged to the IL Vietnam Veterans Assn. Once my mother's health improved, I took a full time job with a large developer in Bonita Springs. Annie and I became very good friends and even met in person at one point. I was talking with her one evening on line and knowing that I was an artistic type, told me about this guy from the Vets group that was looking for someone to paint a mural on his resort that he was putting on the market for sale. She told him about me, that I loved to fish (he owned a fishing lodge in Missouri-formerly from IL and still a Vet member in IL) Anyway she told him about my situation and that I loved to fish and couldn't afford a vacation. If he flew me to MO, put me up in his resort, I would probably paint his mural just to go fishing a couple of days and to get away. It turned out getting me there was 1/3 the the cost of what professionals wanted to paint his mural. So she introduced us on line, and he flew me in to paint this mural. I have never been married, I wasn't looking for romance, and everything was totally above board. I trusted Annie, and thought this guy sounded sane and nice in our on line and telephone conversations over what he wanted painted on his long wall by the pool. WELL! I get off the plane, here is this guy that looks like Sam Elliot!! He's got rough hands, tender eyes, a ratty shirt and blue jeans. PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS NUTZ for going. I just wanted to go fishing!! His lodge was in a beautiful setting. Mornings were too wet and dewy from all the mist and fog off Lake Tannecomo to paint the dripping walls...so we fished. Afternoons the sun beat on the walls and was too hot, so hot it gummed up the paint...so we fished. I out-fished this tournament trout fisherman the first day I was there. He was impressed. It felt like I knew him forever-we had the best time! I managed to paint just one urn with plants dripping out of it in 5 days! We had so much fun together. It was like we were waiting for each other. When it came time to come home, we cried, we both knew we were in love and didn't want to leave each other. A week after I got home his resort sold with just one painted urn!! He said...NOW where am I going to live. I invited him to visit me in Florida and see if he liked it here. Two months later, he came back with all his belongings and boat in tow. The rest is history. We are still just as much in love 11 years later! He is my rock, my soul mate, my partner, my best friend and the love of my life! NOW more than ever, I tell him often I love him and how much he means to me. We hold hands longsr, listen closer and love each other more deeper than ever before.

PHEW that was long!!!

It looks like the internet has taken the place of bars :-)

sweeeet stories! It's always a really good thing to step back and appreciate relationships of all kinds! ...interesting how the internet has played a role in all of our lives (otherwise, why would we be part of an on-line forum?????) and, in appreciation for those very important people in our lives...my best friend is one with whom I never would have crossed paths -well, it's certainly VERY doubtful! - met in a chat room and then in person when the spousal unit and I had an 'internet party' a year later. Great thread, Cindee....we DO need to tell those that we love how much they mean to us. Often.

I met Steve in Fort Lauderdale back when I was 20 and he was 21. We use to double date other people ....................
I would always be the one to drive..that way if I wanted to leave , I had the keys.
I have these strange memories of looking in my rear view mirror and seeing Steve making out with other girls. :)

Steve and I were friends for about 3 years, then all of a sudden we started to feel a little weird if we went too many days without seeing each other. More that friendship , but not love.
We would call each other just to check in....

Then it started , A date to go to a Miami dolphin football game. Just him and me, no one else.
And that was 29 years ago

Cindee, thanks for starting such a meaningful thread! I met my love online, too. As it turned out, we wound up knowing some of the same people. Even more interesting is that his parents and my parents went to the same high schools in Virginia AND his parents had their first date at a restaurant that my grandfather owned. Also, many people in his family have the same first names of many people in my family and when we first met, both of our parents drove the exact same kind of cars.

Anyhow, when we met, we were both around 25 and almost 9 years later, we are still madly in love with each other. There are times when I catch myself looking at him and my heart skips a beat. He's my soulmate, my best friend, my confidant, my love, my angel.

We now have 2 miniature Dachshunds who complete our home and bring absolute joy to our lives. They are our children. We are blessed to have found each other....it was in the stars.

But what about my mockingbird? He's been courting, fussing, fighting it out with the other guy, just to win the girl, for weeks. And he finally got the girl. He's pretty proud of himself, and makes me think of love every morning and afternoon when he proclaims from the neighbor's satellite dish.
(Ok, he also makes me glad that MY love and I bought this place, but.... I'm pretty happy for him and his successful courtship that will lead to more mockingbirds to keep the song going.)

My cousin invited me to go with her to Sunday School in north
Miami in 1972. I met Sylvia. She said she had gotten her drivers license. I said you drive? aren't you like thirteen?
She got so mad. She said"no,I'm seventeen". I was twenty.
After that she did not want to date me. Sylvia was dating
another guy at that time but she agreed to go on a double date with my cousin and syl's brother. that night we got a flat tire,of course her parents did not believe us. We could not believe it neither. That night I got the hottest kiss I ever had. Eight month later we got married. This coming
Oct.28th will be 36 years ago. I love her today more than
ever and I tell her all the time. I also tell her very often how beautiful she is and she is more than a woman,she is my
Lady!
Felix

In 1979 my oldest brother was stationed on the USS Forrestal and met a guy named Tim. They were on the ship together until Tim was discharged in 1982. Tim was there when my niece was born in September 1982 and met my parents and my other three siblings. I was not there due to school commitments so I didn't meet him. In 1983 my brother was discharged and Tim came to visit. I remember this scrawny guy in nothing but jeans and a cowboy hat coming in and jumping in my brother's lap, kissing him right on the mouth. I thought he was a weirdo. He had no car, no job and no prospects.

As the story would go he actually did have some prospects even if he had no car or job. We started dating, I moved in with him in 1984, finished college in 1987, got married in 1989 and had our first child in 1992. He is my other half. He still tells me everyday how beautiful or sexy or gorgeous I am and the kids are grossed out (not really) by us. As I can tell by reading the other stories, there is nothing to compare with knowing that you have the unconditional love and support of another person.

p.s. He isn't scrawny anymore but he and my brother are still good friends.

Oh, and Felix - that must have been some kiss!

WOW what wonderful, loving stories!! Isn't love grand! I cannot imagine how I lived before meeting my true love. Hell, I was 47-48 when I met Dennis and never knew life could be so wonderful when there is someone there all the time who loves you unconditionally! Someone that even tho interests may differ, you merge and really move as ONE. Sweet stories, everyone, I am so glad I started this thread. It makes me realize that there IS true love in this crazy world. Thank you all for sharing your stories. They are all very heartwarming!!

I love seeing older people who move, dance talk like they are on their first date, yet they have been together forever. LOVE ROCKS THE WORLD! "love the one you're with..."
Did I mention I am a real emotional loving person??? LOL
SMOOCHES to all of you and your loves!

I was 19 and pretty lonely. I prayed to God to send me someone I could love and who would love me. Shortly thereafter I was at a youth group meeting at our church and the gal leading the group anounced that she got a letter from a sailor in the hopital in Oakland Calif., he was looking for someone to write him. My hand went up and we started to correspond. Two years later we got married. We will be celebrating our 51st anniversary May 11. Boy was my prayer answered. He was my support, he incouraged me in where ever my heart led me. And never complained about anything. Always gentle and sweet. His only fault, not likeing yard work. LOL. Almost lost him 3 1/2 year ago to liver failure. The local Doc said he needed a transplant and he wouldn't get one becaue of his age. Prayed again and didn't accept no for an answer. He received a transplant and he is doing well. We still hold hands and flirt. I can honestly say he treats me the same way he treated me in the beginning of our relationship. Can't ask for any more then that.