{"id":101137,"date":"2025-02-07T00:43:19","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T00:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/2025\/02\/07\/these-how-we-met-love-stories-are-an-early-valentines-day-gift\/"},"modified":"2025-02-10T08:28:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T08:28:46","slug":"these-how-we-met-love-stories-are-an-early-valentines-day-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/2025\/02\/07\/these-how-we-met-love-stories-are-an-early-valentines-day-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"These \u2018How We Met\u2019 Love Stories Are An Early Valentine\u2019s Day Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8864793242727901\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Can a 15-year-old and a Marine who got hitched a week after they met make it work? What about a couple of college students who met as guinea pigs in a professor\u2019s study on computer dating? Or a couple who met when she hitchhiked home from a basketball game?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>These three couples with decades-long marriages are among the respondents to Patch\u2019s informal survey asking the secret to long and healthy relationships.<\/p>\n<p>Below, just in time for Valentine\u2019s Day, are some of those stories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock__4zBcQ ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock--mobile__18tT_\">\n<section class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__0dj5n\">\n<h2 class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title__F_olP\">Find out what&#8217;s happening in Across America<span class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title--nextLine__FTO3K\">for free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<h3>\u2018Smother Love\u2019: Don\u2019t Do It<\/h3>\n<p>In 1969 when 15-year-old Scottie met and a month later married Dennis, a Marine stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina, few people thought they\u2019d make it. They whispered that Scottie was pregnant and Dennis had only married her because, as a Marine, anything less would have lacked valor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth were wrong,\u201d Scottie said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock__4zBcQ ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock--desktop__oN6vv\">\n<section class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__0dj5n\">\n<h2 class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title__F_olP\">Find out what&#8217;s happening in Across America<span class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title--nextLine__FTO3K\">for free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Dennis and Scottie, who live in the Middle River area of Baltimore County, Maryland, have been together for 56 years now. They never had children.<\/p>\n<p>It is true the odds they would still be together almost six decades later were not in the couple\u2019s favor. Scottie offers solid, sage advice on what it took to make their whirlwind romance last.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cTrust,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>And this: \u201cIt\u2019s a must to give each other space. You just can\u2019t smother someone. Everyone needs time to themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>And also this: \u201cMoney issues. We all have them. Don\u2019t fight about it. Find a solution You don\u2019t have to scream and yell to agree or disagree Show interest in each other\u2019s days no lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Mainframe Got It Right<\/h3>\n<p>Decades before online dating sites became widespread, at a time when computer dating services ran on bulky IBM mainframes and their potential to connect strangers seemed far off and futuristic, John Robert and Nancy Pelletie were matched for life.<\/p>\n<p>It was 1966, and they were students at what the time was known as Fullerton Junior College in Southern California. <\/p>\n<p>They both had busy schedules \u2014 she was in the band and he was a cheerleader \u2014 they saw an easy extra credit when a professor put out a call for research subjects for his paper on computer dating. The 25 couples matched by the mainframe agreed to go on three dates and write a report on how the computer had determined their compatibility.<\/p>\n<p>The correlations in their lives were surreal. They both came from families with seven kids. Both of their mothers were twins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cWe ended up dating for three years till I got drafted in the Army in 1968,\u201d John said. \u201cAfter I received my Green Beret and shipped to Germany, we decided to get married.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Pelleties now live in Mesa, Arizona, where both are retired.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have been married 56 years now. We still hold hands when we go out, and always say \u2018I love you\u2019 every day,\u201d John said. \u201cWe have always lived in the moment, and having two kids and four grandkids keeps us young.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>True Love After Liver And Onions<\/h3>\n<p>Luckily, a Bayside, New York, woman joked with self-deprecating humor, \u201cnobody broke a hip\u201d when she and Stephen danced their chuppah as a newly married couple about four months ago. <\/p>\n<p>They met about five years ago on Facebook, \u201cone of the few things I know how to use on a computer,\u201d Barbara said. Neither planned to marry again. She\u2019s 66 and he\u2019s 73.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cBut I\u2019m old school, so I didn\u2019t want to live in sin,\u201d said Barbara \u2014 or B2 as she\u2019s sometimes called. Stephen\u2019s first wife was named Barbara, too.<\/p>\n<p>The coincidence is a \u201cgood thing because his memory\u2019s as bad as mine,\u201d B2 cracked. \u201cIf I make a mistake, his hearing isn\u2019t that great, so he won\u2019t know. Still, to be on the same side, I generally stick to \u2018Sweetheart.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barbara\u2019s advice to others looking for second chances at love is spiced with verve and edge:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstead of looking for someone you can\u2019t have and makes your heart pound \u2014 which may induce a heart attack \u2014 look for the one you trust, laugh with, count on, and who still looks at you, every single day, the way a child with a sweet tooth stares at a big bowl of Halloween treats he can only have after he finishes his dinner of liver and onions.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Love, A Grand Gesture And Sleuthing<\/h3>\n<p>Erin and Gary Smith\u2019s love story reads like a rom-com script with love at first sight, a sweeping romantic gesture and detective work to avoid a missed connection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>The Bradenton, Florida, couple met 24 years ago when Gary was in Jamaica for a destination wedding at the same time Erin was there on a business trip. <\/p>\n<p>They only had two days together before Erin had to leave, but exchanged contact information. She lived in South Carolina at the time and he was from England.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I returned from my business trip, I had a postcard from him that he mailed from the resort the same day I left,\u201d Erin said. \u201cIt was very sweet, so I dug out the piece of paper that he\u2019d written his information on, only to find that it was just his address, no phone number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Erin wasn\u2019t about to let that stop her, she said. It was an obstacle to overcome.<\/p>\n<p>A friend of Erin\u2019s also on the trip to Jamaica \u2014 and witness to the love blooming between the couple \u2014 offered her overseas connections and ease navigating international calling to track down Gary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cIt seemed like a long shot,\u201d Erin said, \u201cbut about 15 minutes later, she called me back with his number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve been together ever since.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to pick and choose your battles and find a way to communicate,\u201d Erin said. \u201cValidate each other\u2019s feelings. Continue to go on dates and always continue to laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Students Angle Date For Teachers<\/h3>\n<p>Bob and Alane Donahue of Norwalk, Connecticut, were team teachers for a geometry class at DeSales High School in Lockport, New York, in 1973.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were friends and we knew we enjoyed each other\u2019s company, but we were careful not to cross the line into dating,\u201d Alane said. \u201cThe kids used to say, \u2018Why don\u2019t you ask Miss Riester out?\u2019 Bob would just mumble something.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>That didn\u2019t satisfy the class. The kids put up a sign in the cafeteria that read: \u201cSend Miss Riester and Mr. Donahue to the movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bob and Alane were married on the weekend of the nation\u2019s Bicentennial in 1976. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave a sense of humor and always think of love. Be kind,\u201d Alane said. \u201cYou will have highs and lows (everyone does) but you commit to work together. Also, I feel lucky to have found the love of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018The Unhappiest I\u2019d Ever Been\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Mary and Bob of Wakefield, Rhode Island, met 40 years ago at her brother\u2019s wedding in the siblings\u2019 hometown in Upstate New York. Bob was the best man. <\/p>\n<p>Mary had planned to stay only a couple of weeks before driving back to her job in Colorado. She and Bob\u2019s attraction to one another had been immediate and powerful. She arranged for a couple more weeks of leave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cDriving back to Colorado was the unhappiest I\u2019d ever been,\u201d she said. \u201cWe wrote back and forth for a few months before we knew we had to be together. I packed all my belongings in a U-Haul truck, drove across country towing my car, and never looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They built a house together, raised a son, and recently built and moved into their dream home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccept that it\u2019s OK if you disagree,\u201d Mary said. \u201cIf you need time to reflect on differences, it\u2019s fine to take the time. Choose your words carefully. Hurtful words will erode a happy relationship over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Love Over Banana Muffins<\/h3>\n<p>Fremont, California, couple Valerie and Jeff met at work. She made homemade banana muffins one day and was passing them out when Jeff, a complete strange, fired off the flirtatious opening salvo in their relationship: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill you marry me?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>She eventually said yes. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome into any relationship as an emotionally whole and healthy person,\u201d she said. \u201cDo not expect the other person to fill your holes or you to fill theirs \u2014 but be supportive in healing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also, Valerie said, \u201cAlways listen. Always be genuine, honest and gracious. Know your boundaries and be true to them. This is the person you\u2019ve chosen to partner with, treat them with love and true care.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Part For Life<\/h3>\n<p>Jim and Cindy Killavey of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, met on a theater stage in Newport in 1973.<\/p>\n<p>She had traveled from New Britain, Connecticut, to perform in the musical \u201cMlle. Modiste.\u201d He was an actor in the show, playing her husband, Hiram Bent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cI fell for him and in April of 1974 gave him that part for life,\u201d Cindy said. \u201cWe celebrated our 50th anniversary last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their secret to happiness?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo things together when you can. We continued to act together and separately,\u201d Cindy said. \u201cRaise each other up and don&#8217;t stop communicating.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Thumbing Down Love<\/h3>\n<p>Back in 1965 when the world was safe enough for women to thumb rides, Keith picked up Susan and a girlfriend who were hitchhiking home from a basketball game in Burlington, Vermont.<\/p>\n<p>Keith and Susan, who now live in Bristol, Rhode Island, hit it off immediately when they stopped at a bar near their college.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Their love story started with trust. And that\u2019s what has made it last, Keith said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlways show mutual respect and trust for one another,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h3>The Hustle Brought Them Together<\/h3>\n<p>Angela and Doug, of Novi, Michigan, met at a dance for single professionals in nearby Farmington in 2002. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was having a real good time on the dance floor and noticed a handsome gentleman dancing right in front of me,\u201d Angela said. \u201cI only saw his backside, and then as the music ended, he turned around to ask me to continue to dance the nest tune. We danced the rest of the evening in each other\u2019s arms. It was comparable to love at first sight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What she didn\u2019t know is that Doug had spotted Angela dancing her heart out danced his way to her side. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cHe said he didn\u2019t want to let me get away until we connected,\u201d Angela said.<\/p>\n<h3>Tickets To Love<\/h3>\n<p>Julie and Mitchell of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, met through a mutual friend 15 years ago because she needed Phillies tickets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommunication is the key\u201d to a long and healthy relationship, she said, adding, \u201cAnd pick your battles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kathy and Jim of Lindenhurst, New York, met in 1987 while standing in line for a Ticketmaster kiosk at the Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, New York. The machine malfunctioned, which was normal at that time, leaving the two strangers together in line for quite a while.<\/p>\n<p>It was out of character, but Kathy piped up and said she wanted to attend a concert a friend of Jim\u2019s had mentioned when he stopped by to chat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know what made me open my mouth,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>When the friend left, Kathy and Jim started talking and discovered they lived close to one another and other coincidences. Kathy had to leave before the machine came back online and Jim offered to buy her tickets and drop them off at her house.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re married now.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBe open and honest,\u201d Kathy said. \u201cTrust one another and be each other\u2019s best friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018We Had To Rely On Each Other\u2019 <\/h3>\n<p>Sue didn\u2019t even know her good friend had an older brother for a couple of years because Frank was in college and spent summers away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>They met when he was home from the holidays and dated for a bit, but \u201creally didn\u2019t get along\u201d, the Concord, New Hampshire, reader said. <\/p>\n<p>They reconnected the following summer. Their differences melted away and they\u2019ll celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary in April.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the best (and hardest) things that helped us was not living near any family or friends,\u2019 Sue said. \u201c We had to rely on each other and learn to work things out.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>More Advice For Strong Marriages<\/h3>\n<p>Lauren and Will, who live in Philadelphia, have been together for 16 years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRespect each other\u2019s opinions,\u201d Lauren said. \u201cIf arguments get too heated, take a break even if it means going on a long solo walk. When you get back, do not resume the disagreement. Focus on something pleasant you both agree on.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Frank, a firefighter, and Jeannine, a nurse, of Los Alamitos, California, have lasted 37 years as a couple because they\u2019ve worked \u201creally hard at it,\u201d Frank said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRelationships and marriage take investment and nurture,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to understand that the butterfly feelings when you first meet change into a much deeper love, affection and trust for one another. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAside from our romantic relationship, we are friends,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe also allow each other space. Space to be who we are as individuals, not just a couple. That is so important for longevity. Above all, God. We base our marriage on God and Biblical principles and what our roles are defined by that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sarah and Rosalind, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, have been together for 23 years and married for 21.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCompromise, conversation, doing things together, helping each other, being there for each other during the good and bad times\u201d have made their marriage work, Sarah said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Regina and Jim of Toms River, New Jersey, have been married since 1969. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are so many elements to a good marriage or relationship,\u201d Regina said. \u201cLove is the most important. If you love each other, you will always be looking out for your partner\u2019s best interest. And you\u2019re a working team! Throw in flexibility, kindness, and a good sense of humor and you have a recipe for a great relationship!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox.<!-- --> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/patch.com\/subscribe\" class=\"\">Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><time datetime=\"2025-02-07T00:43:19Z\">Posted <!-- -->Thu, Feb  6, 2025 at 7:43 pm ET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/patch.com\/us\/across-america\/these-how-we-met-love-stories-are-early-valentine-s-day-gift?utm_source=article-mostrecent&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_term=seasonal%20%26%20holidays&#038;utm_campaign=recirc&#038;utm_content=aol\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can a 15-year-old and a Marine who got hitched a week after they met make it work? What about a couple of college students who met as guinea pigs in&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":101138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101139,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101137\/revisions\/101139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}