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Over the years my wife Fay has hinted that it would be very romantic if I would sing to her. However, I had not sung since grade school because I was told that I could not sing. As our 25th anniversary neared, I started taking singing lessons. I practiced singing an hour a day in the car to and from work. We celebrated our big anniversary by taking a Caribbean cruise. The night before our anniversary Fay went to bed early and I made last minute arrangements. I went to the Apollo Lounge and rehearsed. Several single gals teased that they wanted to marry me. The next day, June 24, 2003, we spent the day on the island of Martinique. While strolling on the beach a lady wished us a "Happy Anniversary!" Fay asked how she knew. I told her that was one of the gals who proposed to me last night. At dinner two ladies waved and greeted us. Fay was again puzzled. I responded that they were the other ladies who wanted to marry me. After dinner, I took Fay to the Apollo Lounge. After a nervous wait, the ship's photographer finally arrived and I went onstage. I brought Fay up front and sang John Lennon's "Grow Old Along With Me". Fay was shocked! The words were moving and the whole room was teary-eyed. Fay said it WAS romantic and that she would never forget it.
Dave Kotilinek, White Bear Lake, MN
Ross and I met, during my first (his second) year, at the University of Minnesota. Throughout undergrad we took classes, studied late into the night discussing social justice, kids, families and futures. It never crossed my mind that Ross and I could be anything more than best friends. During summers when I spent time with my family, Ross and I would correspond by letter- yellow legal pad, written on both sides and pages filled with our thoughts and daily doings.
Five years later I found myself working in Japan and Ross not sending letters. It crossed my mind he was mad, or maybe too busy now for a faraway friend. On a brief visit home in July of 1995, we re-connected and relief that we were "ok" turned to excitement as he promised to visit Japan the following spring and write more often. He didn't break either promise. He wrote his first letter in the beginning of September and they increasingly began to fill my mailbox weekly, then bi-weekly and then almost daily. I was so glad to have our old "friendship" back.
Then came the shocker. A letter where Ross through a stream of conscious told me he had feelings for me. I couldn?t believe it! When I told a close friend of ours, she said, "Christine, Ross has been building a shrine to you for years and everyone has stopped by to see it, but you." What she didn,t say, but already knew, is that I too had built a shrine. But what I told him in a panic phone call in January is that I still wanted him to visit, but I just didn't know "Can I kiss you"
March 24, 1996. Ross was supposed to meet me in Kansai Airport. He would be coming from the states and me from Thailand after a 3 week vacation. What he didn't know (and either did I until a week before I left) was we were both scheduled for a lay over in Seoul and then booked on the same flight to Japan. I had about 4 hours. So I found a nice young male attendant who I pleaded with, pouring my story (and foolish heart) out too, and had him change Ross' seat assignment so we could be together. Then I waited, waited, and waited some more at the gate until they started boarding.
Again I poured my heart out to the gate attendants, begging them to hold this international flight so I could surprise him. Koreans are people full of love and they easily bent to my request. Minutes later I found myself ducking behind the podium and could hear 5 attendants smiling, welcoming and hurrying this amazing man through a set of double smoked glass doors. Ross said he thought the Koreans were the warmest group of people he had ever met. I jumped up and then he was even more confused after his so far 22-hour journey. "Am I in Japan"
We landed, found out I had no problems kissing Ross, toured Kyoto and Osaka for 2 days before heading back to my country town of Saijo-shi. We holed ourselves up and 2 days later telephoned our parents to inform them we would be getting married in 6 months upon my return to the States. I know everyone thought we were extremely foolish as neither of us had met the other's family. My family thought it was a delayed culture shock reaction.
Ross physically left after 10 days and my heart was filled with an amazing (and foolish) love that still radiates today. While apart we continued with massive letters (that we still have), flowers, long phone calls (and even longer phone bills) and he did most of the wedding planning.
If that isn't love I don't know what is. He spent weekends with my mom looking at places for the wedding and planning. (Remember they had never met before Ross invited her out for coffee before coming to Japan.) On November 10, 1996 we were married at midnight at a bed and breakfast with just our immediate family (all 44) present. I was the third generation to wear my grandmother?s dress and the third generation to share the wedding anniversary of my grandparents.
Over seven years later, Ross and I continue to act foolish and in love and definitely foolishly in love. Today it crosses my mind that we couldn't be any less than best friends and lovers. Every day his gentle lips kiss me and I know now I could remain in that kiss forever. There is nothing foolish about love.
Christine VeLure Roholt, St. Paul, MN
I was coming home after six weeks of radiation therapy at the Mayo Clinic for a brain tumor and a little bit scared and worried being home again. My husband, Randy, thought about everything and pulled the bed to the wall just incase I would have another seizure. I went to bed and wondered what would become of me and my family. I said a prayer and was just about asleep when I saw the glow-in-the-dark stars my three sons had put on the ceiling. I stood on the bed and gathered a handful of the stars and put them on my completely
bald head. I covered my head and Randy came in, turned out the light, and said a prayer for us. He gently uncovered my head to kiss me and I really had him laughing. We are still here after thirteen years of loving each day.
Ann Brown, Long Prairie, MN
My husband John and I met at a haunted house fundraiser the snowy Halloween of 1991 - he dressed in a trenchcoat and fur Werewolf mits and I pasty-pale as the Vampire Girl in the Coffin. Though dreading the 20 mile drive home in the blizzard and cold, I refused his invitation to "camp out" at his place that night. That Winter, John persisted and took drastic measures to woo me. First came Dr. Zhivago and hot tea. Then each Saturday a single rose with a romantic quote. And most sweetly, a fishbowl full of Good N Plenty candies....my favorite.....placed on my front doorstep early one morning. I knew he was the man for me, when the night before Leap Day 1992, John appeared at my house in a full gorilla costume bearing a "bouquet" of bananas and roses for me. He was crazy and I was in love. It only took me 12 years to figure out the poetic romantic quotes were actually lifted from Captain Kirk in the "Star Trek" tv show. And John, I love you.
Leslie Batt-Lutz, River Falls, WI
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