Tears of Joy Video and Photography        

          

 

Wedding and Love Stories

  
Do you have a great love story? Do you know someone that does? Share that here. Are you someone who has managed to make your marriage last for years and stay in love. Share your secrets here. Do you have cute stories of how you met or how he proposed to you? We would love to hear those stories as well. Take a few moments to take in some of the stories posted here and maybe they will inspire you to share your own.  
  
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Ben's Proposal A Perfect Day  
  
If you happened to be up before daybreak on Sunday morning, strolling along the walking path on Riviera Drive in Mission Bay, San Diego, you might have come across an amazing site.
In letters, larger than life, the words "Will You Marry Me?", were carved into the sand. Ben filled in the trenches of each 8' letter by scattering the petals of 100 red roses. As the sun rose the in sky, this patch of beach became illuminated magically.
 

When every detail on the beach below was perfect, Ben waited on the balcony for Lauren. As she approached the door, she immediately saw the letters spelling out the question of her future... and then she turned to see the love of her life on bended knee, holding out a treasure box containing a vintage, early 1900's solitaireengagement ring.

She said "yes" ... and in the spring, a new Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson will begin their life together. There is joy and love in the air and our hearts swell as we welcome bright sunlight and rose petals into our world.
Julie Wilkerson
Tears of Joy Video


Fun Wedding Proposals

Cedia, a girlfriend of mine called and asked me to join her and her husband David at the TECO Plaza which is located in the City of Tampa on the Franklin Street Mall. This is a pedestrian mall that is very busy during lunch time. I arrived a little early and popped into The Nature Shop which is a floral shop on the mall that two of my friends own. It was funny Hector & Leland kept showing me all this new stuff ushering around their shop. When it was time to meet David & Ceida for lunch, I simply crossed the street.
 
As we were sitting their eating, I get picked up from my chair by my boyfriend and carried outside. He carried me down this red carpet that went all the way across the street in front of The Tampa Theater which is next door to The Nature Shop. There was a throne awaiting me at the other end as well as a violinist and several large bouquets of Roses. Roy sits me down in the chair, kneels and asks me to marry him. By this time a large crowd had gathered and yelled out to hear my answer. The marquee of theTampa Theatreread "Cindy will you marry me, Love Roy".
 
This was all caught on tape by friends in on the secret. The funny thing was that Roy had planned to stash the carpet and the throne in The Nature Shop while he parked his car, and since I was in the store, Hector & Leland had to move me around the store so the surprise was not ruined.
 
As I use to assist in booking all the functions on the pedestrian mall this was even more special to me, and truly something to remember.
 
Cindy Hanchett
Tampa, Florida
Fun Makers


Finding Love In Unusual Places

I used to drink. Ever since high school I thought it was cool – breaking the rules like that. The more I could drink and handle it, the cooler I thought I was. Increasing my tolerance level became like a personal challenge to me. I used to pride myself on not being a giggling, tipsy fool like a rookie. Little did I know what I was doing to myself? I managed to make it through school and become a teacher, an award-winning teacher but the increased drinking meant increased problems, days missed from work, troubles with family, friends and the law. No good came out of it. I met and married a man who also liked to drink and we were like two peas in a pod… a fermenting pod.  Our lives became chaos: fighting, screaming, smashing, yelling, total chaos. Nothing good comes from alcohol. The only thing good that came out of that life was my beautiful daughter.

If you do not respect what you have, you lose it. I ended up losing my dream job which I was so good at. With that devastating loss, everything else went down the drain. I ended getting arrested for DUI and going to jail. I lost my daughter, car, home, and husband. Even our dog died when it was hit by a car foraging for food because we were not providing for it like we used to. I cried every night for the first month. My will had gotten me to the worst place in the world.

I was going to be shipped off to rehab instead of prison. Apparently the judge saw that I could be given one last chance. I met girls in jail who were nice and through one I wrote to her friend asking if he could take care of some documents for me while I went away. I wrote a letter to him that included my best jokes and apparently he was intrigued because the first sentence in his firstletter to mebegan, “I feel compelled to write to you.” I was impressed that compelled was part of his vocabulary so I wrote back to him. We ended up sharing everything about each other. I told him how I love burgers and that the only good burger is a messy burger. I told him the TV shows I loved and what ice cream flavors were my favorite. I told him about my mom and dad and how they sent us to the best schools but I chose wrongly and ended up there. We shared our pasts, hurts, hopes, disappointments and joys. He asked to see a picture and I refused. I said I wanted to just know his heart and mind and I did not want to know the superficial. But a more important reason was because of the incredible stress I was under, my face was all broken out and looked monstrous. I felt so ugly, but he said in one letter, “You don’t know it yet, but you are going to be my lady.” I started to open my heart up to him.  He wrote to me every single day without fail. Finally, he could take it no more and said, “I have to meet you in person. THAT’S IT!” I thought of my horribly bumpy, pimply face and said dejectedly, “Okay, I will meet you in person.”  That night I got shipped out in the middle of the night to rehab. They tell no one when you are being moved to another jail, so it was at least a week before he received a letter telling him I was hundreds of miles away.

We continued to write. I found him to be intelligent, charming, old-fashioned, chivalrous, funny, admirable and sweet. I had fallen in love with him too. He ended up driving around 400 miles to finally meet me in person. He said I was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He received a peck on the cheek that visit. The next month he drove the 800 miles-round trip to get another peck on the cheek. I knew I wasn’t the prettiest girl he had ever seen but it sure felt good to know that he thought I was!
 
He stayed my pen pal for months and was there when I got out.  I came to the town he lived in which is close but not too close to my hometown and my old stomping grounds. One adage from recovery is, “You’ve got to change your playground and your playmates.” In this picturesque town I have met the most incredibly inspiring spiritual women who are in recovery. I have the neatest job with a wonderful boss. I ended up completing the court-ordered requirements and went back to court last November and was awarded a divorce and full custody of my daughter on the same day! The day before Thanksgiving no less! Getting her back completed the pie. We live with our pet dogs and birds in a beautiful place on the water which is perfectly fitting because he is a captain and loves to fish.  My best friend told me when I was going to rehab, “You are going to get everything you lost back and then some.” She was right. I don’t have the wonderful career I lost but I figure I had to pay somehow for the disrespectful life I led.

I remember now how one night long ago, when the fighting between my ex-husband and I drove me out of the house, I looked up into the stars and wished that I could find a man who did not have vices, was respectful and respectable, was mature, responsible, Christian and loving. I had no idea that God certainly was going to answer that prayer. I may have gone through hell to get to heaven but I am in heaven now and if that is what it took to get here, so be it. I hope now that my story inspires others who have lost hope (whether by their own hand or not) because God does answer prayers and you can meet the man of your dreams. Today is our anniversary… two weeks ago I became this wonderful man’s wife. Technically, I can say that I met my dream man in a women’s jail and that is certainly a testament to the power of God. I met the man of my dreams where there were no men!
Mrs. Patricia Hansen
Port Isabel, TX
Gladiator II Adventures



The Love Story of Glen and Irene

I flew to Taiwan in the summer of 1990 to visit my natural family (I was adopted at a young age by my Taiwanese aunt and American uncle) and decided to spend the summer there since I had just graduated from college.

Every time I visit Taiwan, I make sure I attend the little church on the mountain that I was baptized in as a child.  One morning in Sunday School class I noticed a guy with long hair and a pony tail that reminded me of a young Tom Cruise.  He was in a nice suit and tie and came in late and left early.  I didn’t see him again until I went into the main service where he was passing out church bulletins.  We started talking and I told him I was from San Diego and had just graduated from California Baptist College.  He was surprised and told me that he was also from San Diego and that two of his sisters graduated from the same college.  He introduced himself as Glen and later sat next to me during the service.

There was a church bus that took you back down the mountain and just as the bus was about to leave, Glen hopped on and walked all the way to the back of the bus and sat down next to me.  We had a long conversation and I told him I was really bored because all of my cousins were in school, my siblings were at work, and I had no one to fill my days with.  I impulsively invited him to go to the beach with me (my family lives in a fishing village). Not only did he agree but he also invited me to MacDonald’s where he “splurged” and treated me to lunch. Glen was teaching English, saving money, and traveling Asia, so most of his lunches were eaten at the preschool where he taught.    That was the beginning of our three year relationship that carried into our lives back into the States.

Glen and I both decided to get our teaching credentials after spending a year overseas teaching English.  We continued dating while we were in school and after graduation, decided to part ways because “we were too different” (his words).  He told me he could never marry me because I didn’t like his style of music and I preferred to watch the news instead of read the newspaper.  He moved to San Francisco and I stayed in Riverside (near L.A.) because that was where my college friends were.

After about five months of constant letters and daily calls, Glen suggested that I drive up to San Francisco for a Valentine’s Day visit.  I responded with a, “Thanks, but no thanks.”  I was substitute teaching and trying to get my foot in the door at the local elementary schools.  I told him I would visit him during Spring Break.  He was adamant that I visit on Valentine’s weekend and wouldn’t relent until my roommate decided that she would drive me up the weekend after Valentine’s.

We had planned to leave early Friday morning because Glen had made reservations for dinner that evening.  Unfortunately my roommate decided to make an elaborate breakfast for her boyfriend that morning and that got us on the road two hours late.  The drive through LA traffic was slow and soon the weather turned for the worse and it began raining really hard.  We were caught in the middle of a fierce storm and we were already late.  That is when my roommate decided (unbelievably) to make a detour to Pleasanton to visit an old college roommate.  Needless to say, when I called Glen he was furious. He had already changed the reservation time twice. This is when my roommate told me that Glen was going to propose but she didn’t like him very much.  I told her there was no way in the world he was going to propose because he considered us incompatible.

When we finally arrived at Glen’s San Francisco apartment, we rushed out to a hip Chinese restaurant near Little Italy.  I had decided that if there was a miniscule chance that Glen would propose, it would be during our meal.  Well, the romantic meal came and went and nothing extraordinary happened.

Glen took me on an after dinner walk through Chinatown and we went in a big tourist shop so he could buy a bag of fortune cookies for dessert.  We then drove to a grocery store to buy some champagne and “fancy” plastic cups.  He didn’t tell me where we were going.  The evening was shifting from romantic to mysterious.

We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the Marin Headlands to a scenic overlook.  We were going to get out and enjoy the view of the City but the storm was roaring and the only other vehicle on our perch was a TV station weather van.  Glen opened the bag of fortune cookies and I reached in and chose one.  As I split the cookie in half, a diamond ring dropped out!!  I was in shock.  He looked deeply into my eyes and it was as if time had stopped.  My mind was racing to register the meaning of this; Glen tried to get on his knee in the car, grabbed my hand and asked, “Irene, will you marry me?  I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”  So many things were going through my mind, like, “I thought you said you were never going to marry me because we’re different??”  But in reality I was in love with Glen and I had never met anyone in my life that was quite as adventurous, exciting or crazy as him.  I said “yes.”

From living in a tinystudio apartment(and almost killing each other with pillow fights the first three years), to moving into our current large house (with an enormous yard that we haven't a clue how to take care of), our love has matured and withstood the test of time and distance.  Almost 18 years later, our marriage is still a whirlwind of excitement, adventure, and uncertainty.  We have two beautiful children and have lived in San Francisco, San Diego, and now Virginia.  After working in schools for over 12 years, we enrolled in Seminary thinking we were going to  East Asia (not the East Coast) after graduation, but Glen has deployed (as a Marine Reservist) to Djibouti, then Iraq, and now Afghanistan.

Glen won’t be back in time to celebrate our love for Valentine’s Day, but we’ve learned over the last few years that absence really does make the heart grow fonder so I know that when we are back in each other’s arms our love will have grown stronger than ever... and that the best is yet to come!
Irene Morris
Carrollton, VA


Holli-day

He finished his last set of pushups as he witnessed the sun lift the shadowy curtain of night. The early morning sun stretched a golden blanket across the streets of Bakersfield, California. Diamonds of dew clung to blades of grass. A cat yawned as it awoke. The noises were scattered.
A rooster crowed his early morning recital
A dog barked to welcome the day
A child's laughter echoed, as he opened his present
And a young Rochard gazed out the window.

He marveled at the mountainous skyline; they didn't have mountains back home in Texas. He was thinking about how far he had come, and not just the two hour lay over in addition to the three and a half hour plane flight. Ricocheting flashbacks of buying the plane ticket, researching rings, talking about it with his parents, building up the courage to ask her parents for her hand in marriage, reading countless proposal ideas, phone call after phone call, finalizing her customized ring and long drive to pick it up, plan after plan, the emotional roller coaster, the "what if's", all the meticulous lies that had to be strategically kept track of, all the times he longed to tell her what was going to happen....
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" The voice broke Rochard's trance. He was greeted by Mr. Joe (his soon to be fiancé's really cool church member) with a warm smile and the breakfast of champions.
Eggs and wheat toast......
"Well, How ya holding up bro?"
"Man, I just can't believe 'its' FINALLY here!" said Rochard nervously.
"You got this dude, i know you got this!" Mr. Joe rebutted with assurance.

These words he had heard soo many times before, some how brought him some tranquil. Their small parley was interrupted by the sound of the door bell. Happiness peppered with impatient eagerness permeated Rochard as he ran to the door. It was his future Mother-in-law coming to pick him up from this hiding place. She had been his accomplice for the past nine months of planning and was just as excited as he was about today. Rochard said his thank you's and good byes to the Aloneis's and set out the door to embark upon this uncharted territory. Ya see, this was no normal Christmas day.today would be the ground breaking of the blue print carefully constructed over three and a half years ago. This Christmas was about stepping up to the plate.ordering the #3 super sized instead of the happy meal..watching CSI instead of Sponge Bob..wearingboxer briefsinstead of pull ups.

And this is where the fairy tale begins.Mom Cheadle closed the tail gate that would hide Rochard. Just before she closed it completely, "you'll do fine honey, everything is going to be just fine," she said with the cozy console that only a mother could provide. The ride from the hiding place to ground zero was a short one. But the [truck covering thingy note to self, find out what this is called.] provided a figurative hyperbolic time chamber for Rochard to seek the Throne since he was only armed with his courage. He began to pray for extra guidance, protection, and peace. The truck stopped at the strategic location that would allow him viewing capabilities. Two taps signaled that it was "go time." Withcell phonein hand, flame ignited in his eyes, he proceeded to carry out the last of his three phone calls.
Four years of knowing each other and not one Christmas together, so he promised her back in January that this years Christmas would be different. After months and months of planning, and talking about how much fun it would be, and what traditions they could start, she got a tragic phone call late November.

"Princess!" he said with apprehension, "I've got some bad news..real long story short, I wont be able to make it for Christmas." The words sung like a solemn requiem to the tune of desolation. "..ba-but I can make it up to you." Her response.a bone chilling, heart broken silence that echoed through the chambers of his soul..

To her, the news came with the impact of a train crash, and the devastation of a hurricane. Fighting back a smile, Rochard began to basque in the excellence of his insidious plan. Weeks later, through another phone call, he explained that he felt horrible about the whole situation, and at least wanted her to have her gift on Christmas day. Sharp as a fox, he began to cunningly tell her about the phone delivery confirmation applied to the shipping fees, and how he would receive a call when her gift was delivered, and in turn, be able to call her when the gift was outside. In the bed of the truck, Rochard was faced with one last phone call. To tell her that her Christmas present had arrived!

II
"YEEEEAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" was the sweet sound of felicity that poured out of Holli's heart, when she found out that her gift had come. She stopped her everything, and dashed to the door. As she went out side, the most beautifully majestic Percheron Draft Horses stood at attention under the command of horse whisper, Mr. Bert. There ebony hide sparkled in the sunlight. There well groomed hair, blew copiously in the wind. They were attached to an eminent aristocratic Vis-à-Vis carriage from the early 1800's, which was mounted by master coachmen, Mrs. Marry Ann. An eloquently ordinate scene that was indubitably fit for Princess Holli.

In awe, she proceeded out towards the onyx horses that towered over her model-esque body. With phone plastered to her ear "Rochard.is this for mee??" she asked as delight danced in her eyes. "Yes My Flower! It is! I love you!" He looked on from the truck with a tender twinkle of anticipation as she got in the carriage and rode off into the distance.

The phone call ended, as two more taps came to side of the truck. He busted out the back of the truck like a SWAT team on steroids. Ribbon, tape, scissors, wrapping paper, and a Giant box accompanied him. He had but a little window of time to make moves, for in the next 15 minutes, Rochard would be an engaged man. A snip snip here, and a cut, tape there; Rochard and Holli's parents had fully assembled the box on the front porch that would change there life's forever.
Both apprehensive and compelled, he nodded his head towards Mr. Bert to continue on with the plans.
The plan went a little like this:

Princess Holli is out on the horse ride, which allows Rochard time to set up. Mr. Bert calls his associate, Mrs. Marry Ann, and gives her the signal. Mrs. Marry Ann tells the Princess that one of the horses got loose back at the ranch and she needs to drop Holli back at her house, and go take care the horse issue. She continues on to say that she would come back in the evening to finish the ride.
Mr. Bert then signals back to Rochard to move on to part F of the plan. Violent butterflies began assaulting his stomach. Angry and possessed, they purposed to sabotage. With every step, his entrails churned in a frenzy. "I told you, you will do fine!" Mom Cheadle said, almost as if she could see the butterflies demolition blue prints radiating from his countenance, "You will do fine!" And with that, Rochard, with the help of Pop Cheadle, got into the box.

Just then, the ceremonious stride of the horses was heard in the distance. Family and friends filled the drive way and poured into the street to see the Princess, and secretly take there positions. Cameras flashed as royalty stepped down from the carriage. Her spot light was humbled because deep down inside, she was overwhelmed with both joy and sorrow. Oh how she longed to be held in the haven of his arms. Inside emotions were mighty as a river and the dam was beginning to crack.
Pausing, to gather her emotional state, she spotted the box, big as a stove, wrapped in bright red wrapping paper that screamed MERRY CHRISTMAS! with a pleasant bow on top. The Princess knew that this was her other gift. Euphoria began to rapture her towards the box. She had never received a gift this big before..in more ways than one.

III
Quarantined from the outside world, he had time to ponder. He thought about the transformation from "me" to "we".he thought of her smile, beautiful as the sun set on the ocean. With pastel yellows, tropical oranges, Indian reds, and other hues of love dancing in the dying day. He thought about never wanting to sleep because reality was better than some dream. His raging, his aching, his burning passion for her, was interrupted by the sound of her foot steps.
Only seconds remain..10 - His heart went into the final climatic overture in the key of fervor. 9 - 8 - 7 His adrenal gland kicked into hyper drive cascading adrenaline to the farthest corners of his body 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 her foot steps stopped, and the box began to show signs of opening 2 - 1 now at the point of no return, Rochard escaped his solitary confinement with every ounce of might screaming "SURRRPPPPRISSSSEEEEE!!!!!!"

Things began to move in slow motion for Holli as an unquenchable look in her eyes watched dark chocolate and rippling biceps emerged from the box. She was initially awe struck, as her cerebral cortex couldn't efficiently process what her optic fibers exclaimed. Logic and intuitive calculations were at a stand still. Reality based thinking impregnated fantasy-oriented thought to conceive this very moment. As things began to speed up, she resisted all effort to hide her joy.
There hearts beat in perfect cadence as they embraced. A warmth lingered on their skin, arousing a sensually incomprehensible feeling that endorsed this encounter. The warmth commenced an almost nonexistent touch that excited the nerve-rich erogenous tissues in there bodies. Faint whispers of "sweet nothings" echoed as Rochard pleasurably tickled her auditory system sending sensational vibrations that registered as:

Princess, who says you have to die and go to Heaven to see an angel? I have never known such a beautiful and flawless emotional exhilaration as this love you give to me. You make living liveable, and happiness happy. For the longest time I've had a thirst deep inside to be understood and loved for whom I am. I've longed for some one to share life's ups and downs with; then you walked in, and quenched my thirst! You're a friend when I need companionship or just simple understanding. You are my love when I need tenderness and passion. I long for the day that I can submit to my dreams: reaching for you, feeling the warmth of your body near, listening to the gentleness in your breath, and ...knowing that my dream is right by my side.

Pop Cheadle looked on with a gleam in his eye and a grin on his lips - as if he were watching you unwrap the birthday present he just gave you. Excitement faded to anticipation from the crowd as Rochard ungrafted his body from hers and slowly began his descent to one knee. Obsessed by love, or just nervously excited, Holli began to shake as her eyes blurred. A tear rolled down her cheek. Another soon followed, then another. Then the dam broke.
The trees were silent.
Animals stood still as they witnessed amorous adoration.
The wind ceased stirring.
The moon tilted ever so slightly in an effort not to miss this occasion.

Her tears were moving. His smile stirring. Then, with infallible longing in his eye, he delicately asked, "Holli...will you marry me?" as he pulled out his mesmerizing, sparkling investment.

"Yes!"

Trumpets sounded and all nature rejoiced! Stars raced through the blackness. The moon tilted backwards and rocked in sweet satisfaction. Bears danced, birds hugged. The wind whistled as leaves applauded. Husbands and wife's held hands. And those looking on tingled with devout sentiment. The two wept as they embraced for the first time, all over again. For a forever they stood at the front porch intertwined as one. Blissful serenity pulsated this heart stopping event. Cheers erupted from the crowd as a penetrating enchantment over took them. Pop Cheadle's tears and Mom Cheadle's stretched smile christened the engagement master piece.
Before getting into the carriage, the two stood together..smiling for pictures, like they were the only two kids in class that knew the answer to the teacher's question. They climbed in the carriage and rode off in to the distance,
Happily Ever After
The End
Reginald Robinson
FORT WORTH-TX


 


Contributed by Juli Dodd

Tears of Joy Video


Do I confess?

Do I confess after 28 years! Knowing the man for 30 years!
Love at first site...oops sight...I am on the internet too Much ...lol!
I saw Assaf for the first time in a shopping mall...I was shopping did not know when I set out in the morning that it would turn into a hunting trip.

I was looking in a shop window when ... I saw the refection on the most magnificent smile, I had ever seen.

Turned around ...hoping ...he was smiling at someone and that someone was not me!
Boy oh Boy...I had to do something about it.

A friend of mine noticed my interest...to say the least.
I went home and casually announced to my flabbergasted Mom that "I had met the man that I was going to marry."

How does a girl with the same track record as the Virgin Mary go about making a plan. Other girls would have gotten a phone number and picked up the phone...not me. I had to remain the as if ...he were the pursuer...if not it would not have been proper for me!

I waited coyly hoping that someone would give the man a nudge, in the right direction. We all know which direction that was?

Oh, I forgot to tell you how I described my dream man, to my Mom. I said that he had an amazing smile with huge dimples, big eyes as black as coal and eyebrows that perfectly enhanced his eyes. You know when you buy a car you talk about head lights and also the tail ones. I did mention that he had an incredibly cute tush.

All the years my Mom chooses to stick to the tush story and forgets to mention the eyes! Maybe more than one lady in our family has an eye for the tush.

Now to get to the nitty gritty. The day eventually arrived when a friend of my friend asked "What kind of man does Zee like?" My friend answered that she saw him and kind of flipped!

So she was asked why I did not phone him. She was told that I am a lady, conservative and well brought up and that is something that I would not do.

My friend was given the task to make the introduction and close the deal.
Assaf now had all the other equipment needed to go after me. My name and number!
Ziona Etzion
Modi'in-Israel


A Flicker of Light

When a flicker of light from a long time ago,
Strengthens and brightens and continues to grow,

Then the winds of uncertainty make it flutter and fail,
Who was to know that love is so frail?

When struggle and fear bring love to the brink,
It seems like our God tells us to think,

To shelter our love from the fierce wintry blow,
And gather our offsprings and never let go.

To hold them and love them and never forget,
To forestall a choice we'll always regret.

When that flicker of light from a long time ago,
Sputters and stammers, yet continues to glow,

We know in our hearts that our love is alive,
And we'll do anything it takes to make it survive.
Victor Errante
Saint Charles, Missouri


He Said Yes

I met a great guy but he lived in a different city. We dated for only a little while. Although there were a few roadblocks, we grew to love each other. We claimed ourselves boyfriend and girlfriend just after a week. We talked on the phone for hours at night. I knew that I loved him and he loved me too. We did everything together. So I decided to take the big plunge. We talked about getting married but never really said when. We both knew we wanted to, so I set out to find a ring. I decided that I was going to ask him.

I invited him to a nice restaurant on the river. After we placed our order, I excused myself to go talk to the waitresses. I talked to them around the corner so he couldn't see. I told the ladies I was getting engaged today. They said how in the world would you know. I said "I'm asking him" Their mouths were wide open. I asked them to put the ring within a napkin and deliver it to the table when I gave the signal.

Once I was seated at the table, I started talking about the future. We talked about loving each other,etc and then I gave the signal.

As soon as the waitress reached the table he looked. He said "I didn't order anything" and she placed the small plate down and left. He opened the napkin and found the ring.
I said "Will you marry me." He sat there with his mouth wide open looking at me. He tried on the ring. It fit of course because I had already got his size information without him knowing. I said "ahem, your answer?" He said "Oh my God, you are right" Yes!

We will be married 4 years this July.
Kris Peoples
Trotwood, Ohio


I SAW THE LOVE LIGHT SHINING!

I was nervous as could be. I could not believe my boss Helen; the head of Nursing was trying to fix me up with one of her sons! She liked me…I knew that much and she kept saying I needed a good man and she had one in mind at home to introduce me to. I thought to myself…”why not?” So I made plans to go to her house and meet “Bob”. Now Bob was fun as could be and not bad looking. We enjoyed many of the same things and well…. I really liked hanging out with him. He was after all…. a fun person and we laughed a lot...but I knew deep down my feelings for him were platonic. Then there was “Jake”. Jake was older than Bob and not my cup of tea at all. He too was handsome…but what a player! I could tell he liked me and made it really obvious…but as I said…he was a player!

Sitting on the front porch of Helen’s house I was laughing and joking with Bob and suddenly something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I looked down the old road in front of the house and saw someone pushing a Harley motorcycle. He was dressed in leather and looked like a rebel! He had obviously been in an accident as he had blood on his face and pushing the disable motorbike. I was intrigued immediately! I asked Helen… “Who is that?” And she replied….”Oh never mind who that is”. OK, so now I was up for the challenge…and it was soon apparent that the mysterious biker was Helen’s oldest son Clarence. I took one look at him and instantly had to meet him! He was so handsome and someone who looked like he went against the flow! Ha ha… it was no time at all before he was asking who I was. Helen wasn’t being very helpful, as she wanted me to click with Bob. Well, as it turned out, Clarence did a little investigating of his own and received the information regarding who I was and that I worked at the hospital for his mother. He was going to give Bob a little competition!

I was at the hospital doing my daily list of chores, which included mopping the hall when I heard “Pssst”… I looked around and saw no one. Again I heard “Pssst”. Then I saw the culprit…it was Clarence! He was trying to get my attention. “When do you get off duty?” he asked. I just grinned and asked him “What business is it of yours?”. Then he said,”I will be outside waiting for you to give you a ride home”. I just smiled and told him his mother would be very upset if she knew he was there. I admit it was exciting as he was just so darn cute and I knew right away I wanted a ride from him. “I can’t ride home with you because I am wearing a dress”. He looked at me and rolled his eyes and then said, “OK, fine. I will be here tomorrow to give you a ride, so wear pants under your uniform”. I just hushed him and told him to go.

The next day came and again I was working, doing my chores and knew he would probably not show anyway. Well, I was wrong…there he was, standing around the corner asking me if I was ready for a ride. I just smiled and told him to wait outside. After work I went outside and there he was sitting on his motorcycle waiting for me. My heart was pounding like it had never pounded before because I knew when I sat on that bike I would have to put my arms around him to hold on. He was so handsome and I felt like I was almost breaking the law in going with him! Well, he gave me a ride home all right…in fact he was there every night I worked to give me a ride home for weeks!

Weeks later, I was at work and I was mopping the floor. I had been wearing jeans under my nursing uniform for weeks now so I could ride on the motorcycle after work with Clarence. Anyway, I was mopping and as I was going back and forth with the mop one of my pant legs rolled down and Helen saw it. She stood there and said, “You are riding home with Clarence aren’t you?” I immediately thought…I am in so much trouble! Then she said she knew she was fighting a losing battle. I was just glad it was all out in the open now. I had already fallen head over heels with him and I wanted everyone to know about it!

My mother instantly hated him and thought he was just a rebel. She wasn’t interested in how he truly was and that he had a heart of gold and that he loved me like I never imagined being loved! Helen became the mother I always wanted and I truly felt loved by her!

So, the story went on…. we married when I was 21 years old (1950) because I had to wait until I was of legal age. We had four boys, 1 girl together and even lost one in a miscarriage. Later in life we raised Bob’s three kids after his wife died in acar accidentand he was in the Navy. Clarence was everything I always knew he would and could be. I got sick with Hodgkin’s disease when I was only 33 years old. He was 34 at the time. I never really recovered from being sick. I was sick until the day I died in 1992…we were married almost 42 years. Clarence lost his battle with cancer 1 year and four days after me. We are together again and holding one another tight! It was a love story that I could only dream of…maybe not your typical one…but a real love story for me. He stayed faithful, loving and held me when I was sick, cared for our children when I could not and to me, he was the man of my dreams. He might have looked rough the first day I saw him…but I saw the love light shining within him and through it all I have no regrets in taking that first motorcycle ride!
Written by my daughter Kay May
March 10, 2009
San Diego, CA


Bar Hopping

It all began in the Fall of 1978. My best friend and I went to the local college pub for a night of dancing and fun. When we arrived there, she ran into a million people she knew. You see, she was a model and every guy had his eye on her. Eventually, she introduced me to one of her minions. It was her way of "getting rid" of him!! We had a drink together and continued to see each other for about two weeks. At that point we both agreed this was going nowhere and parted ways.

Jump ahead a couple of relationships & three years later. Same friend and I go out dancing to yet another bar and guess who's there. I had already walked up to the bar to talk to bar tender, who was a friend, when I heard my friend's voice yell "NEIL!". Of course, I'm thinking no way. Can't possibly be the same guy. OK so I was wrong. My friend drags me over & asks Neil if he remembers me. He says yes. We talk throughout the night and he asks for my phone number. I tell him he won't call, but sure. The next night he called and we went out to yet another club where his friend's band was playing. We continued to date. His best friend told me that Neil never had a girlfriend more than 2 months at a time. This was at the 6 month point. I wasn't sure to be happy or what!!

We dated for 3 years and on March 10, 1984, Neil gave me anengagement ring. Our friends said it would never last given Neil's track record for relationships. We showed them how wrong they were.

While the clubs we met in and met at are long gone, our marriage is still as strong as ever. We have two beautiful children and we'll been celebrating 24 years this July.
Dorinda Duclos
Wayne, NJ


Only Love

Love can sometimes be fresh.
Love can sometimes be new.

Love can sometimes make you happy.
And sometimes make you blue.

Love is the light that radiates from your eyes.
Love is your image floating in the skies.

Love is true.
And darling, the only love for me is you.
Lamar Cole
Poplar Bluff, Mo


The Eyes That Sparkle

You look into my eyes and say they sparkle like the stars high in the sky. As we stand beneath, we hold each other and begin to sigh.

Your eyes seductively seduce my eyes, and the tears slowly trickle down my face; following each other one by one creating a flowing river.

I shiver as you place your hands on my face and with your thumb you gently absorb each tear as you paint a beautiful picture while staring into my eyes.

My eyes slowly close to stop the tears for a moment as I feel you really care. You begin to slowly brush my hair away from my face as you just stare with happiness.

You take your finger and trace the tears as you reach down to my chin tilting it facing the sky. My face glowing as the sun appears. The rays from a far start to dry the picture you so proudly drew.

As we are looking above, the sky starts turning blue as we inhale the morning dew.

We embrace the moment and the feeling we shared as all the stars vanish from the sky and stay forever twinkling in my eyes.
Stacy Perez
Hanover Park. IL


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