One of my biggest weaknesses is a good love story. Although I refuse to watch "The Notebook" because I know from past experience I won't be able to stop crying, I love hearing about someone's love story. As cheesy as this sounds, I have come to find that there is something incredibly special about an individual sharing a personal detail like their love life with you. All love stories are different, having their own unique details that accompany them. You might absolutely despise the person like Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly in "You've Got Mail" or Noah's instant infatuation with Allie in "The Notebook."
Although romantic-comedies can give you all types of feels, I think the real world might have some better love stories to tell. As I often do, I turned to social media and asked my friends and followers to share their stories with me. The answers that I got would put the writers of "Love Actually" to shame.
Here are the cutest stories of how people met their significant others:
1. "I hated him in middle school."
"I hated him in middle school because every time he got off the bus he would hit me with his book bag."
Isn't that how most stories start? One friend told me that she didn't even realize that her boyfriend was the same boy who rode the same bus with her until after they started dating. Although this couple officially met when she was helping out his teacher, you could say they have some history. Now they are engaged and planning their wedding.
2. "I saw him in the halls."
"I had a crush on him in 7th grade, and he liked me too! The rest is history."
Some love stories start young. One friend told me she met her boyfriend while still in middle school. Now, they are both in college and still dating. Watching the two of them together is adorable, and you can tell how much they care for one another.
3. "We met on a blind date."
I have to admit; this one might be my favorite response since it is kind of the reason I'm on this earth. My parents were set up on a blind date right before my mom started college. My mom was 17, and my dad was 18. They have been together ever since. For the men reading this, here is a tip: let the girl eat all the good flavored snacks. She won't forget it.
4. "We met at an Orlando City Grab-a-date, but she wasn't my date."
This story happens to be another one of my favorite on this list. For those who might not be familiar with the term "grab-a-date," in Greek life, fraternities and sororities have these events where they invite someone to an event. Despite what movies make it seem like, you don't literally grab some stranger off the street and take them somewhere. There is planning involved. In this case, my friend saw someone on his grab-a-date (who's also one of my friends) and fell head over heels for her. Sometimes, you know and that is precisely what happened here. Of course, her side of the story is a little different, claiming she yelled at him for wearing a green shirt.
5. "He came to a workshop I taught."
A friend of mine was teaching a workshop about girlhood and femininity in war zones and her now-boyfriend showed up. "We just had this chemistry even though we'd never spoken before, just like of this visceral reaction to each other."
Side note: she writes and he acts. It's a match made in heaven.
6. "Yoga class!"
"I couldn't concentrate every time he came in. He was magnificent."
Who doesn't fantasize about meeting your future husband in a yoga class? Another story I heard was from a couple who is has been married for three years and is expecting a child. They met in a yoga class and later connected at a birthday party and Instagram. She fell in love with his confidence, slight cockiness, and of course his charm.
7. "Class, he didn't have an umbrella while it was raining so I offered to walk together to our dorms."
"Freshman year of college we were in a class together, and he was wearing a shirt from a high school next to my house back home. We started talking about that and turns out that his house back home was 10 minutes away from mine. After class was over, I saw that he sighed when he saw it was raining outside since he didn't have an umbrella. I asked him if he lived on campus and if he wanted to walk with me under my umbrella. During the walk, we found out that we had so much in common and some of my best friends were people that he played sports with as a little kid. It felt like I had known him my whole life from this one conversation. Weird how the universe does that kind of thing."
Are you kidding me? I cannot handle this cuteness. Sometimes you have to trust the universe. Three years later they are still together.
Of course, some answers I got were pretty funny.
8. "Once I have, I'll let you know."
You don't have to be in a relationship to appreciate a great love story. As little kids, we watch Fairy Tales and come to crave that "Happily Ever After." Although I am well aware a story continues after the credits roll—I think that is why real life love stories are better than ones in movies. They contain the ups and downs of a couples love. No relationship is perfect, but a good one can stand up against the challenges of everyday life.
