Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe there are love stories like the ones in the movies, magical and romantic and they live happily ever after. I know each relationship has their own issues, but small enough to be managed and work through without it affecting happiness or love. I want to keep believing it exists, I want to hear your love stories! Your happily ever after!
Thanks in advance.

Oh I have one, it is something I brag about, so forgive me.

When I was 19, I was in Memphis with a bunch of my sorority sisters for a girls weekend. He was there for his cousin's bachelor party. We kept gravitating towards each other all night , especially talking about our shared love of baseball. It was innocent I had a boyfriend, he was engaged. We did share a dance before the night was over ... my knees went weak. That was that we both left with our group of friends but boy did he cross my mind every so often.

Almost two years later I was in D.C. for the summer. I'm walking into a cafe and someone holds the door for me. I look up to say thank you, I hear my name as a question - and it's him. He was in town for a business meeting. We were both single.

We've been together over 20 years. Married almost as long and have 4 children. He is my best friend and love of my life and I love that we have a corny cheesy romance novel worthy story of how we met.

A point of interest, I'm the OP of the thread asking for gift suggestions for him.

Did you two keep in touch the entire time? I think that is a cute story!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe there are love stories like the ones in the movies, magical and romantic and they live happily ever after. I know each relationship has their own issues, but small enough to be managed and work through without it affecting happiness or love. I want to keep believing it exists, I want to hear your love stories! Your happily ever after!
Thanks in advance.

Oh I have one, it is something I brag about, so forgive me.

When I was 19, I was in Memphis with a bunch of my sorority sisters for a girls weekend. He was there for his cousin's bachelor party. We kept gravitating towards each other all night , especially talking about our shared love of baseball. It was innocent I had a boyfriend, he was engaged. We did share a dance before the night was over ... my knees went weak. That was that we both left with our group of friends but boy did he cross my mind every so often.

Almost two years later I was in D.C. for the summer. I'm walking into a cafe and someone holds the door for me. I look up to say thank you, I hear my name as a question - and it's him. He was in town for a business meeting. We were both single.

We've been together over 20 years. Married almost as long and have 4 children. He is my best friend and love of my life and I love that we have a corny cheesy romance novel worthy story of how we met.

A point of interest, I'm the OP of the thread asking for gift suggestions for him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe there are love stories like the ones in the movies, magical and romantic and they live happily ever after. I know each relationship has their own issues, but small enough to be managed and work through without it affecting happiness or love. I want to keep believing it exists, I want to hear your love stories! Your happily ever after!
Thanks in advance.

Oh I have one, it is something I brag about, so forgive me.

When I was 19, I was in Memphis with a bunch of my sorority sisters for a girls weekend. He was there for his cousin's bachelor party. We kept gravitating towards each other all night , especially talking about our shared love of baseball. It was innocent I had a boyfriend, he was engaged. We did share a dance before the night was over ... my knees went weak. That was that we both left with our group of friends but boy did he cross my mind every so often.

Almost two years later I was in D.C. for the summer. I'm walking into a cafe and someone holds the door for me. I look up to say thank you, I hear my name as a question - and it's him. He was in town for a business meeting. We were both single.

We've been together over 20 years. Married almost as long and have 4 children. He is my best friend and love of my life and I love that we have a corny cheesy romance novel worthy story of how we met.

A point of interest, I'm the OP of the thread asking for gift suggestions for him.

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe there are love stories like the ones in the movies, magical and romantic and they live happily ever after. I know each relationship has their own issues, but small enough to be managed and work through without it affecting happiness or love. I want to keep believing it exists, I want to hear your love stories! Your happily ever after!
Thanks in advance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I overheard my husband tell this to a girl in his office about to marry.

" you will not know true love until you have been married as long as we have. That giddy butterfly feeling is not love. Love like ours is so deep words cannot explain it. I feel we are one person. "

Well, then. Your husband is a pompous ass

And codependent

I can't believe that people would feel the need to make rude comments when someone had taken the trouble to share something meaningful from their life. If it didn't speak to you, why not just move on?

I've started reading Gottman (The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples) as often recommended on this board, and there is a section on "We-ness" Versus "Me-ness." The use of we-ness words like we, our, and us was compared to the use of me-ness words like I, me, mine. And the finding was that the more people used the we-ness words, the happier their relationship was.

So the PP's husband's statement does reflect a very happy relationship. Thank you for posting, PP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I overheard my husband tell this to a girl in his office about to marry.

" you will not know true love until you have been married as long as we have. That giddy butterfly feeling is not love. Love like ours is so deep words cannot explain it. I feel we are one person. "

Quotes like this highlight to me how the perfect person won't be perfect for everyone. I have no desire to be one person with my husband. I want us to be two people who are partners, not the same person with schizophrenia.

This word doesn't mean what you think it means.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I overheard my husband tell this to a girl in his office about to marry.

" you will not know true love until you have been married as long as we have. That giddy butterfly feeling is not love. Love like ours is so deep words cannot explain it. I feel we are one person. "

Well, then. Your husband is a pompous ass

And codependent

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I overheard my husband tell this to a girl in his office about to marry.

" you will not know true love until you have been married as long as we have. That giddy butterfly feeling is not love. Love like ours is so deep words cannot explain it. I feel we are one person. "

Quotes like this highlight to me how the perfect person won't be perfect for everyone. I have no desire to be one person with my husband. I want us to be two people who are partners, not the same person with schizophrenia.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone has a good love story because it is theirs. Mine has some fairy tale elements: met at a Viennese ball, he's German, I'm American. He literally swept me off my feet because he grabbed a broom and started sweeping, pretending to be a cleaner in order to get close to me. My date, who is my gay best friend, was ignoring me to talk to some guy. But my best friend noticed the "hot help" sneaking glances at me and made me strike up a conversation with my future husband.

I remember thinking his english was so good, and he was so attractive. Also that he seemed overdressed to be the janitor but thought that was the uniform there, ha ha. I come to find out he's minor royalty, and I got a title after we got married. It's only an honorific since ruling houses got disbanded long ago when they did away with imperialism. But sometimes I secretly try on my regalia and vestments because why not and I only get to wear them at weddings and stuff and since we're totally small beans, so we hardly ever get invited to any of the good royal weddings.

Fast forward to years later, we've been married for 12 years, he's a consultant and I'm a lawyer. We have 2 young children who I adore but they're a ton of work. We bicker and fight like all couples, but we love making up. I think I totally lucked out and found my prince charming. I'm sure most happy marriages feel this way.

Anonymous wrote:I'm the one with the great smelling wife. I respect her intelligence, her tenacity, her ability to keep her head in stressful situations. I appreciate that she finds my dorkiness cute instead of awkward (or at least she doesn't let on). I appreciate the way she and I are able to parent like a team- even when we acknowledge that we've been outflanked and lost a battle with the kids- we lose and win together.

I love the way she bursts out laughing- she either smiles or cracks up- not much in between with her. I like her butt when she wears scrubs (she's a nurse) and I appreciate her empathy toward others. I know she can't cook- or so she has claimed for the last decade- yet when I'm exhausted from work, she makes something happen so I don't have to.

I think the secret to our success is acknowledging that each of us has a tough road, but it's easier to travel together. We don't weigh troubles and play the who has it worse or better game. We try to be present and keep the balance day to day- and when it is out of whack, due to illness or stress or whatever, it doesn't feel so overwhelming to jump in for the other.

It isn't always butterflies like it used to be. Mostly now it is comfort and companionship and love. But we do make an effort to date one another and yes, for me the butterflies do fly on occasion. And even if they don't I'm patient and know they'll be back.