Sweet memories make Valentine's Day sweeter

Here are 21 loves stories for Valentine's Day written by the people who lived them, Long Islanders all.

Looking for 'Lenny' and finding love: Steve and Laura Saladino, Farmingville

Steve writes: While I was playing a computer game with my cousin on my Commodore 64 in February 1987, my phone rang. I answered it and heard a beautiful voice: "Can I speak to Lenny?"

I told her "There is no Lenny at this number but my name is Steve. We spoke for a while about nothing in particular and then hung up. My cousin asked who was on the phone and I told him it was a wrong number.

A few months went by and the thought of that conversation had faded when my phone rang - and it was the same girl and again she asked for Lenny. And again I told her that she had called the wrong number.

We spoke on and off for a few weeks after that and in June we decided to meet at the corner of the block that she lived on in Farmingville. We met, kissed, fell in love and have been together for 24 years, happily married for nearly 18 of them.

I was later informed that she had climbed out of her bedroom window to meet me at the corner. Due to this experience, my daughter will forever have a thorny bush under her window!

The gorgeous girl at the train station: Gary and Stacey Kaplan, East Rockaway

Gary writes: You won't hear this all too often, but "Thank you Long Island Rail Road, you are the best!". If it wasn't for the LIRR, I never would have met the greatest woman in the world.

In 1991, as a recent college graduate who had just landed his first job, I went with a friend to the Hewlett train station to commute into Manhattan. While we didn't live in Hewlett, the station has a big parking lot and it was free to park. As I stood on the platform, along comes the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I froze in awe as she walked past me toward the other end of the train.

For several months, I rushed each morning to get to the Hewlett station so I could get my spot on the platform and see this "Miss America" walk by. My friend Craig would urge me each day to say hello when she walked by, but I would open my mouth and nothing would come out. At some point Craig suggested we start taking the train from Rosedale station because it's a less expensive ticket, and for two recent graduates, every extra dollar was golden. I begged for another month at Hewlett, and promised I would get up the nerve to say hello. Three months came and went, and I couldn't do it. I relented and agreed to go to Rosedale and save the few extra dollars.

Over the next several months there were a couple of brief encounters on the railroad, like the night we ended up standing side-by-side on an evening commute - but I still stood speechless. Then one night, out celebrating with a group of friends the CPA exam I had just taken, a friend of mine who also knew "Miss America" said she would ask her if she wanted to meet me. Stacey's initial reaction was, "Who, that guy that used to stare at me every morning on the train? Sure, you can give him my number."

One year from when I first saw her, and a dozen answering machine hang-ups later, we spoke. The rest as they say is history. We are now married 15 years.

Perfect: He can dance and fix TVs: Herbert and Marcia Mordkoff, Port Jefferson

Marcia writes: The first time I met my future husband, Herb, was in August 1958 at a dance. He was a wonderful dancer, and we danced the night away. When he took me home, he told me he was 24 years old. I was only 17. When he called for a date for the following weekend I told him I couldn't see him, that I was going steady with someone. The truth is, I felt that there was too much of an age difference.

I met him again on Feb. 14, 1959, Valentine's Day, at another dance. This time he told me the truth: He was 22, recently out of the service and attending RCA Institute to become an electronic technician. I was almost 18 and had graduated from High School and was now working.

This time when he took me home, he met my parents. Herb told them he was a full-time student, working on weekends at a neighborhood TV repair shop. He fixed TVs, radios, toasters, etc. Wouldn't you know - our TV was broken. In 1959 when a TV set broke, you had a repair man come to the house to fix it. So my parents made an appointment with him to come back the following Saturday morning to fix the set. In the meantime, Herb made a date with me for the following weekend.

On Saturday morning Herb came to our house, not only with his toolbox, but also with his dad. It seems that his dad did not trust his son with his car so he came along for the ride. Saturday mornings at our house were special, and my mom always served bagels and lox for breakfast. So while Herb was working on the TV, his dad was enjoying a leisurely breakfast with my parents. They really hit it off, and that was the beginning of our romance.

Twenty-three months later we were married. On Jan. 14, we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary.

The travel arrangement became more: Andrea and Harvey Davis, Hicksville

Andrea writes: It was the summer of 1974. I had just ended another short relationship and decided it was time to strike out on my own and take my first solo vacation.

I booked a week's stay over Labor Day at the Hawaiian Isle Hotel in North Miami Beach. My mother was extremely apprehensive about my traveling alone, so she approached my father. He was working for U.S. Customs on the Brooklyn waterfront, and therefore came in contact with many men, old and young. So my mother said to him, "You work with so many guys. There must be somebody who is going to Florida!"

Lo and behold, my dad said that there was a new customs inspector who was planning to visit his parents in Miami that same week - and that this young guy's name was something like "Harley Davidson."

My dad made Harvey Davis (not Harley-Davidson) call me at my job at U.S. Trust Co. on Wall Street. We exchanged telephone numbers and booked the same return flight to New York. I made my parents happy, and Harvey and I wouldn't have to talk to or see each other until the end of my vacation.

Harvey and his family were taking a three-day cruise from Miami and returned the evening I arrived at the hotel. The following morning, Harvey's mom asked that he invite me out to dinner with the family. He refused, stating that we planned to call each other only in case of an emergency. Harv's dad stepped in, and very, very loudly (from what I was told) ordered him to "call that girl right now, as you work with her father!"

He called. And called again. He even had me paged at the pool. But I was having a grand time hanging out with friends I had made. When I returned to my room to begin dressing for a fun night of discothequeing, the phone was ringing. "Hello?" It was Harvey inviting me to dinner with his family - that night! I knew if I declined my dad would be sooooo angry, so I canceled my discothèque plans.

Harvey, his sister and her fiance picked me up at the hotel and we met his parents at the Hurricane Harbor Restaurant in North Miami Beach. We actually hit it off and our waitress took a photograph of all of us sitting around the table. I treasure this picture of my first "date" with Harvey.

After dinner we went to a movie. I was wearing a scant halter top (it was 90 degrees every day in Florida), but it felt like 32 degrees in the theater. As we were leaving, Harvey saw me shivering. He put his arm around me and, to this day, continues to tell everyone that "it was love at first feel."

Upon our return to New York, we dated and saw each other frequently. Harvey and his family invited me back to Miami for Thanksgiving weekend and, during that visit, Harv and I went to the Tiki Lounge in the Hawaiian Isle Hotel where he proposed - 21/2 months after our first meeting. On Feb. 15, 1975, another 21/2 months later, we married at The Amber Lantern on Northern Boulevard in Queens. (Now it's a fruit stand!)

A heart can soften over time: Rob and Kathy Kelly, Moriches

Rob writes: In February of 1983 I started working as an instructor in an alternative program for students-at-risk. It was a new program, and I was handling the administrative functions until an administrator was named.

I generated special forms for attendance reporting, worked on schedules, created student folders for each participant and kept copious records of anything and everything I could think of. I was really proud of this little bailiwick I had created.

On a Tuesday in April, I was informed that an administrator had been appointed, and I was to meet with this person in the main office and turn over my cherished records.

I was not a happy camper. I couldn't play administrator any longer, she was a woman (not my favorite type of human being at that point in my life) AND she was a "Mary Poppins" type . . . all that was missing was the bonnet and the parasol.

Each day thereafter she would stop at my classroom door to get the attendance for my class. Initially I gave her nothing except the facts, probably with a scowl on my face. But as time went on I began to enjoy these brief meetings.

By the end of the year I really wanted to ask her out but how could I approach that subject? She wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Was she single? Did she have a boyfriend?

During the last week of the school year I got up the courage. I opened with some small talk and then blurted out, "What's your marital status?" She said she was getting a divorce. I said, "We should get together to complete the year end report. Why not do it over dinner?"

She agreed and we made plans to meet at a local establishment on Friday night. I got there early, and waited outside. My confidence died when I realized that she was carrying all the files we needed for the report. But dinner went very well and the files remained unopened.

And so it began. We dated for four years and then got married. That was almost 25 years ago!

Love at first sight: Tom and Elizabeth Barnaba, Westbury

Tom writes: I was an intermediate-school teacher, and I happened into the main office late one day and saw a recent student sitting there. I asked if she was in trouble, and she replied that she was not but waiting for her mother. At that moment in walked the mom, and I was instantly in love.

We spoke briefly and she left. After that, I made arrangements for one of the secretaries to call me on the interschool telephone if mom ever arrived when I was not teaching. And I would race down to the office and show up "coincidentally" and try to make small talk.

Finally I got up enough nerve to ask her out, and she accepted and gave me her telephone number. I called, but she could not make it. I tried again. Same thing. Again and again, it was always the same, I told her if she was serious about going out she should call me. I did not want to be that teacher accused of harassment.

Weeks passed, and then a colleague asked how things were going, and I relayed my situation. This colleague had met the mom over the weekend and said she had spoken well of me and indicated that she would welcome a call from me. I called and she agreed to meet for coffee at a diner, on condition that I say nothing to her daughter.

Less than four months later we were married. That was almost 16 years ago.

Two kids from the neighborhood: Sunitha Singh and Michael Flaherty, Coram

Sunitha writes: My parents moved to the neighborhood in 1978 when I was 1 and Mike was 5. Our parents became close friends. Mike was always playing hockey with the boys on the block while my girlfriends and I were into riding our bikes and putting on skits in the backyard

In our early 20s we started noticing each other. In 1995, Mike's father passed away. At the wake was the first time I had really come face to face with him for more than 30 minutes. This was the first time I felt a strong emotion for Mike, this person I barely knew.

In 2000, his mother passed away, and Mike and I started talking here and there. Once, he took me out to dinner and we ran into one of his friends (a girl). Mike told me later that his friend, as well as his housemate, was teasing him and saying that we made a really good couple, and he should act on it!

In the next few years, I moved to England to pursue my MD, then to Chicago. Mike would call and text me, just to say hello and see how my day was and, when he was visiting friends, would bring me my favorite things.

In 2007 I moved back home and started planning my sister's wedding. Mike was so helpful that entire year. A few weeks after the wedding, he told me that he'd considered dating me over the years, but he thought I was out of his league!

We both have a strong sense of family and heritage. Mike's is Italian-Irish and mine is Indian-Trinidadian. We have spent the past few years learning about each other but also ourselves. Who would have ever thought we'd find true love, not next door, but across the street!

The girl with the strawberry tattoo: Debra Soto and Robert Donato, Yaphank

Robert writes: Let's go back in time 51/2 years ago, a regular August day like any other. You wake up, shower, get dressed and off to work you go, but first a cup of coffee. You stop at your usual spot, your usual time, only this particular day you might have been 5 minutes late or 5 minutes early. You go to the coffee counter ready to make that perfect cup of coffee or, for me tea and honey. You're busy with the job at hand, trying to get on the road before traffic builds up on the LIE, but something tells you to look up. So you do and in front of you on the other side of the counter is HER.

So what do I say? I try to make my tea as quickly as possible, she's getting on line. I then notice a tattoo of a strawberry on the back of her right shoulder. It was beautiful, she was beautiful. That was my in, so I say, "Why a strawberry?" She answers, "Why the green tea?" I say again, "Why a strawberry?" She looks me in the eyes and says, "because I like it." Then she looks away.

Well, what can you do? You walk out of the 7-Eleven you've been going to for years, tea and newspaper in hand, and just then a voice says, "So you're a landscaper?" You look up. It's the girl with the strawberry tattoo. You stop, you smile, you know, you just know.

The girl in the shop next door: Steve Stein and Vanessa D'Amico-Stein, Medford

Steve writes: I worked at Boston Market in Selden, and she worked at Headcutters next door. I used to walk by the storefront to play scratch-offs at the local lottery store. One day this amazing beauty caught my eye. I used to walk by every 5 minutes to see what she was up to. One day she came into the store and we struck up a conversation. I asked her on a date and she refused. My persistence paid off and she agreed to go bowling with me. On that first date she made a bet with me that if I bowled a strike she would give me a kiss. That night I had been bowling poorly. Finally I bowled a strike, and we kissed and it has been heaven since then.

Love finds its way, despite house rules: Anna and John Spadafora, Hicksville

Anna writes: I grew up in a very strict household. There was no dating allowed, and I had to be out with my older sister if I was going to be out with friends at all. I was 19 and since going out was restricted, friends were always in and out of my house.

My friend Tom asked if he could bring his friend John to hang out one night. John owned a local pizzeria and, after that night, started coming around on a weekly basis. We asked my Dad if we could date, and he said, keep your friendship the way it is. Little did he know we started dating April 24, 1986.

After three years of dating we told my Dad we were going to get married. Jokingly he said, "Don't you have to date first?"

We got engaged and a year later, on Sept. 9, 1990, we married. On my wedding day Dad asked what time was I going to be home. I told him I wouldn't be - and it was the only day I would have gotten away with that, for sure.

Cupid strikes on the elevator: Bob and Arnetta Goldman, Massapequa

Bob writes: It was the '70s. I had lost my boat business soon after the first gas crisis, which was followed by the departure of my wife. I scrambled to support myself by driving a truck while attending college. Four years in the U.S. Air Force provided benefits that helped pay tuition.

Departing from the Veterans administration in Mineola, I stepped onto the elevator. When the elevator stopped on the next floor, a beautiful woman entered. My eyes met hers, and we smiled. I said "Hello," and followed her to the basement cafeteria. There in line, I struck up conversation. Then she sat with her work friends.

A few nights later, I wandered into Septembers, a popular Massapequa club, and the first person I saw was the woman on the elevator. Our eyes met, and we smiled! I said I know you! We were married and our dog yeti, a Great Pyrenees, was our best man dressed in a tuxedo with a ring box strapped to his back.

Letter writers sign on for life: Ray and Marie Ferraro, Middle Island

Marie writes: In June of 1953 I received a letter from a soldier stationed in Arkansas. He introduced himself in the letter and said that he had gotten my name and address from his brother's girlfriend who worked with me.

I answered his letter, and we wrote to each other for six months and spoke on the phone several times.

His first leave was Christmas of that year and he wanted me to be at his house waiting for him. I told him I could not do that because my parents were very strict, and I would have to be with my family for Christmas Eve.

He had his father call my dad and ask him if I could be there. And my dad said yes, to my surprise. He did not arrive home until 5 a.m. Christmas Day, there was a house full of people waiting for him.

After greeting his family, he finally got to me and we had our first kiss.

By the time he went back he had given me his school ring, and I gave him mine.

We kept writing to each other and talking on the phone and on July 4, 1954 he came home on leave again and we became engaged. He later was sent to Germany for the remainder of his time in the Army.

May 1955 he came home from Germany. His mother, my girlfriend Rosemarie and I went to Staten Island where the ship was arriving. I saw his friend Willie first and then saw him.

We could not get near any of the soldiers, they were taken by bus to Camp Kilmer in New Jersey. That night he called me and asked if my girlfriend had a boyfriend because his friend Willie wanted to take her out. That weekend they both came home for good and we double-dated.

We were married Nov. 12, 1955, Rosemarie was our maid of honor and Willie was an usher.

This past November we celebrated our 55th anniversary and this coming April, Rosemarie and Willie will celebrate their 54th anniversary.

The summer of 1955 was the best summer of our lives, every time we get together we talk about the wonderful times we had. Those were the good old days!

A chance meeting at Bar Beach: Ann and Artie Braun, Levittown

Ann writes: It was Memorial Day 1994. I headed down to Field Six at Jones with plans to de-stress, relax and soak up the sun all afternoon. Late in the afternoon, the wind really kicked up and whipped the sand around. I stuck it out until about 3:30-ish, when I gave up and started the drive back to my apartment in Floral Park.

Just as I neared the Roslyn Road exit on the Northern State, I decided at the very last minute ... no, very last second ... to swing off the exit and head up to Bar Beach in Port Washington. I knew that the North Shore beaches are typically less windy than those on the South Shore.

A tall, thin, hairy, tanned guy with a beard was sitting in a lounge chair about 10 feet from where I set up. His opening line was, "Excuse me, did anyone ever tell you that you look great in a black bathing suit?"

With that, he got my attention, made me smile. We moved our chairs closer and chatted until sunset. As we walked off the beach and into the parking lot. Ours were the only two cars left. They were both red. "It's a sign," I thought. He walked me to my car and asked if he could call me.

Artie and I have been married since June 1, 1996.

So those singles weekends do work: Lyn and Norman Mendelsohn, Oceanside

Lyn writes: In March of 1966, I attended a singles weekend at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. On Friday and Saturday, at various events, I met several men but nobody special. That changed at breakfast on Sunday morning when a "new" man appeared at my table. When Norman had gone to his assigned table and found that his companions had not yet arisen, he was seated at my table so as not to eat alone. We met, were attracted to each other, and spent the remaining hours before checkout chatting in the lobby.

It took him a week to call me for a date because he didn't want to seem too eager, but things rapidly changed. We were engaged on June 20, just three months after having met, and married on Oct. 9 of the same year.

The Concord Hotel has long been closed, but 44 years, 2 children, and 4 grandchildren later, we are still married, and now enjoying retirement together.

The band went to Friendly's, too: Cathy and Rick Meuser, South Huntington

Cathy writes: It was May 1975. I was 14 years old and looking forward to my ninth grade dance at Burr Junior High in Commack. After all, White Fire, a popular local band, would be the entertainment for the night.

Being the fun loving person that I am, I had to get a picture with the band at the end of the night. That was when Rick, the 17-year-old guitar player, first noticed me and told his friends he thought I was cute!

After the dance, my friends and I went to Friendly's, a local ice cream parlor and a favorite hang out.

As luck would have it, Rick showed up with the other band members. We exchanged glances and eventually telephone numbers and he called me the next day to ask me out on a date. We went to the movies and of course, Friendly's for dessert. I wasn't quite sure what to make of him after he missed his mouth and hit his cheek with his ice cream cone! We laughed that night and have been laughing ever since.

The next ten years would prove to be a Rocky Road. There were a lot of ups and downs and sharp turns, as we had school to finish, career goals to fulfill and teenage years yet to enjoy. Rick was living in the fast lane as I was doing the speed limit in the right lane. We broke up a lot, dated other people, but it just was never the same when we were apart. I kept him grounded and he made me laugh.

We were married on Aug. 3, 1985. We renewed our vows on our 20th anniversary and celebrated our 25th anniversary this past August. Our relationship can be compared to that of a sundae: a little Rocky Road ice cream to start, some hot fudge to smooth things over, a dollop of whipped cream to keep things sweet, all made with a lot of love.

And for the cherry on top -- two years ago we opened our own Ice Cream Shop in Huntington Village.

Drawn by skits and giggles: Lon and Natali Seidman, Port Washington

Lon writes: I met my wife, Natalie, in the winter of 1991 when we were seniors at college. We met in an acting class. During the first week of class the professor paired up all the students and assigned each pair a scene to perform for the class. Natalie and I were paired. We were assigned the play "Picnic" by William Inge. Natalie played Rosemary. I played Howard, who was dating Rosemary. We had no acting skills at all.

It was an introductory class so none of us had acting skills, but the two of us spent far more time rehearsing than the other students. That's because in our scene, there was this one line where Rosemary, feeling desperate and alone and in defiance of 1950s Midwest cultural norms, tells Howard that she wouldn't care what other people would say about her, even if she showed them her "pink panties on the street."

Well, we must have rehearsed that line about pink panties on the street around 750 times. Maybe more. No matter what we did to try to prepare and "act serious" for that scene, she couldn't say the line without cracking up.

Eventually, after about eight weeks of rehearsals, we got it together. By that time we had become a couple in real life. Rosemary and Howard went on to get married in the play. And Natalie and I went on to get married as well. She's been the love of my life and my wife for almost 17 years now. For Valentine's Day this year, I'm planning to get her a video of a professional performance of the play. And some pink panties.

And mom said, marry the cabdriver: Beatrice and Gerry Schneider, Lake Ronkonkoma

Beatrice writes: I met my husband in 1997. I was a widow then with two married children. He was a cabdriver in Queens, where we lived at that time. My mom was getting ill, and I had to take her to the doctor. I did not have a car at that time. When we were leaving the doctor's office, I asked the secretary if I could use the phone to call for a cab to take us home.

She said that she knew a very nice driver. He picked us up, and my mom liked him right away. I was was not interested. As time went by my mom kept badgering him because she wanted me to remarry.

Before she passed away, she got her wish. I am so glad that we took her advice. She passed away six weeks after we got married.

Summer love blooms into marriage: Jack and Michele Slepian, East Meadow

Jack writes: During the summer of 1968, Michele and I (both teenagers) were counselors at the Henry Kaufman Campgrounds in Wyandanch, although we from different summer camp programs. She was not yet 16, and made the trek from Canarsie, and I was 17 and came from the East New York Y in Brooklyn although I lived in Howard Beach.

We didn't know one another, but our bus drivers used to hang out together during the day. Her driver, Terri, asked my driver, Tony, if any of the boys on his bus were available. On the morning of Aug. 2, 1968 we were introduced by our bus drivers.

We hit it off right away. You can say that it was love at first sight. Later that day, some of the counselors from our camps got together at Mill Basin Bowl in Brooklyn and we hung out once again. One of the other counselors asked her to go out and she said she would let him know, wanting to hear from me.

A couple of days later I called her and asked her out, and she immediately accepted. We had to tell my friend that she wouldn't be going out with him. Our first date was on Aug. 10, 1968, and I met her entire family. They were all gathered at her house because an aunt had died and she had no way to get in touch with me.

I wasn't sure where she lived but after I circled her house twice her brother noticed me and came to my car and said 'Are you Jack? . . . Park here" and I did. I went inside and met all 30 or so of her closest relatives.

Talk about getting the once over. It was a good thing that I didn't call in advance of the date because she probably would have had to cancel the it. We went to Cookie's restaurant and a movie in Green Acres Shopping Center.

Afterward I found out what a good kisser she was -- and still is. On our second date, Aug. 17, 1968, I took her to meet my parents and gave her my high school ring. We survived my going away to college and several other bumps in the road, and on August 19, 1968 we got married at Temple Hillel in Woodmere.

Torn muscle leads to a new tennis partner: Marilyn Shimon and Larry Aruti, Hewlett and Rockville Centre

Marilyn writes: Last April, as I was running for a ball at the net during a tennis game, I tore my calf muscle. A trip to the emergency room, a full leg cast, and being told I would not be able to play tennis for over six months certainly was a terrible blow to me.

Two days after I got home from the hospital, I was in agonizing pain, crying, and feeling sorry for myself. What would I do with my time? How could I survive without tennis? After much reflection, I decided that instead of succumbing to "defeat" and immersing in self-pity, I would go to the park around the corner and watch the local games. If I couldn't play, at least I could watch and learn from other players.

I arrived at the park with my crutches and situated myself on the bench in front of the courts.

I immediately spotted a tall, handsome man playing a tough game. I pretended to read a book, although, I was actually watching him the entire time. After he finished the game, he and his partner walked in front of me to get to the parking lot. He looked at me and commented, "Next time you sit here and watch me play, please wear long pants. Your legs distracted me."

My response was, "Which leg? The one with the cast or the other?"

We exchanged phone numbers, and he called me within a few day and we started dating. The cast came off three months later, but our story continues to unfold. Now, instead of one of us sitting on a bench, you can find both of us playing together on the court, laughing, holding hands, kissing each other and happy to be together.

Winning the girl who wouldn't say yes: Vincent Martucci, Copiague

I was first blessed 82 years ago when born to two loving and caring parents, Rose and Joseph Martucci. The family consisted of one brother, Steve, in addition to two older sisters, Connie and Mary. I was the youngest. We were a close knit Italian-American family with traditional values.

My second blessing came in the summer of 1954. I had gone to a church dance in Brooklyn on Saturday evening with two of my friends. At that time, I was in the U.S. Army, home on leave. However, I was dressed in civilian clothes.

The dance floor was crowded and lively after a short time. I observed this amazing, beautiful girl about 5-foot-6-inches tall, in high heels with long black hair. She wore a black dress with white lace over it. I could not help but stare and was completely in awe of her.

My friend, John, had noticed, asking me what I was looking at. I made the mistake of telling him. John, of course, being a better dancer, made a direct approach to her, asking for a dance. She accepted, and also danced a few times more with him and his brother "Gee Gee."

Finally, I drew up enough confidence to ask her to dance with me. Very politely she turned me down twice. I said, "You must be very tired after dancing with my two friends."

My two very good friends kept telling me how beautiful she was and they found out where she worked. I made it seem like I wasn't interested. However, I had a plan.

The following Monday, I showed up at Woolworth's store, downtown, in my splendid Army uniform, thinking I could impress her. I spotted her behind the lunch counter and then she ducked into the kitchen. I asked another waitress to call her out to serve me. She did, so, during the course of my meal, I asked for her phone number and she declined saying, "I have a boyfriend." I was shot down again and thought about joining the Foreign Legion (only kidding). She was constantly on my mind after that.

My next blessing came in an act of fate and divine intervention. Several months later, a girl I was going steady with brought two girls on a blind date for two friends of mine. Of course, one of them was my friend, "Johnny," who at the time looked like a John Travolta look-alike.

When my date introduced me to one of her girlfriends, I asked where the other one was. She was hiding behind a large sign in the lobby of the movie theater. This is Mary, my date said. I said, "I already had the pleasure of meeting her."

The evening did not go well with the other two couples, and I had to take all the girls home with me. I purposely took Mary home last, finally able to get her phone number.

We kept company for about five years and did not always agree on many issues. I loved her from the moment I first saw her. It wasn't just her beauty, but her spirit of youth and innocence.

In the year 1959, I was blessed again, married with a memorable celebration. Our marriage lasted for almost 50 years. We were both blessed with six wonderful children, and 11 great grandchildren through the years. Mary unconditionally loved and protected all of them. She found the time to listen, have patience, and advise those who came to her with their problems. Family, friends, and relatives were all part of her daily life. She was the perfect example of humanity.

Her favorite pastimes were cooking, baking, playing solitaire, poker, listening to music, candy-making on holidays and also frequent trips to Atlantic City. Luck was on her side, as she often won while there.

Mary's mom was an inspiration for her throughout her entire life and she also cherished her dad, Charlie.

In the final days of her life, this woman had the courage, strength and religion to bear the curse of cancer. On June 18, 2009, she found the peace she deserved. This was truly a remarkable woman. Mary will forever be in our prayers, hearts and minds.

The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel: Ina and Bobby Kaplan, Syosset

Ina writes: My husband, Bobby, and I went to public school together in fifth and sixth grade. We didn't know each other, but I remember seeing him in sixth grade. He was in the popular crowd and he was very cute. I moved to another town and through the years he became friends with my cousin. I would visit and hang out with their friends. At 18, I went out on my first date with Bobby, and in 1970 we got married. As Bobby was packing up his things in his family's house, he found his sixth grade autograph book. Guess who wrote in it? Me!

Thirty years later, Bobby and I went to Las Vegas [and renewed vows] at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. Being the romantic, I wrote some very special things to say. Being the comedian, Bobby turned to me and said, "Ina, I remember the first words you wrote to me." These are the words he took from the sixth grade autograph book: "When you get married and get a divorce come to my stable and marry my horse."

Bobby loves telling that story and I'm passing it on to you. Forty years together, three wonderful children and five beautiful grandchildren, make this nice Valentine's story.