By NATALIA JASTRZAB
We think you might need this post today. If you’re finding the return to the working week a little tough, if you’re having a sad or difficult time at the moment – this post is going to make it all better.
And even if you’re not struggling, even if you think you’re having a BRILLIANT day… you’re not.
Because you haven’t read this post yet.
In the gallery below, you’ll find 20 mini love stories from the website Makes Me Think. It’s where people go to post the stories that keep their worlds turning – and there are some beautiful, immediate-tear-to-the-eye-bringing, stomach-wrenching stories there.
The best thing is that all the stories are captured in two sentences or less. It’s like a bite-size version of The Notebook.
Be prepared with tissues.
(FYI - The MMT at the end of each story stands for “Makes me think”.)
And now it’s your turn to post your mini love story. The story of a moment that encapsulates your relationship with your husband, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your son, your daughter, your grandparent, your mum, your pet Labrador, your neighbour, Ryan Gosling – anyone.
Post two stories if you like.
Post a hundred.
There’s not enough love in the world as it is, so the more love here – the merrier.
I’ll start:
Today I drove home, parked my car in the driveway, took my shoes off by the front door and went upstairs to my room. My grandmother came upstairs to find me and said, “Natalia, my three favourite things in life are: your car, your shoes, and you. Seeing all three of them means that you’re home and safe.”
What’s your mini love story?
Comments
59 Comments so far
I have three love-stories to share. The first concerns my dad and his partner, the second and third are from my own experience.
The first time my father and his lover met each other, over eleven years ago, they were sitting at different tables in a restaurant. All through his dinner my father saw only her, and she saw only him. When he left he felt so much regret that he went back and asked after her, and that turned into a date, which was followed up by one of the most caring relationships I have ever had the fortune to lay my eyes on.
When I started going out with my boyfriend, he knew me as a woman. One day I told him that I cannot be a woman, that I cannot even conform to a binary gender system. I was afraid that he would want nothing more to do with me. Instead he turned to me, kissed me and told me he wasn’t all that concerned by all that nonsense anyway. It’s been over two years, and we are still happy together.
This is the same boyfriend who got mad at me when I apologised that I could not bring myself to have sex with him – not because of him, but because I cannot cope with my body. Instead of demanding sex from me, he was mad because I thought it would matter to him. “Well,” he said, shrugging his shoulders, “if I wasn’t with you I would be getting even less sex, wouldn’t I?”
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As a mum of 3 I have been lucky enough to experience lots of these special moment.
Two that spring to mind, both involve my two year old son.
Having a cuddle one day, he pushed his face up to mine so we were nose to nose and said, “I’m so happy!”
Putting him in his carseat one day he cupped my face in his hands, kissed me on the nose and said “I love you mummy, you’re my best friend”.
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I don’t want to sound bitter,but I am almost 29 and just do not believe this will ever happen to me. I only had one relationship and despite a few good times at the beginning, my ex never did any of these things.When I was sick he got angry,he would ignore me a lot and emotionally abuse me. I look at these stories and just hope I can find someone like that,because I know I will do amazing things for them too.
Sorry for the sob post.
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It’s ok. I understand.
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I moved interstate, away from my family and the city I grew up in a few years ago now. Every now and then I’ll get an email or text from my ‘little’ brother, a 6 foot 4, muscle-bound, achingly cool 27 year old that simply says “hi, I miss you”.
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Two weeks after meeting each other, my boyfriend turned to me in the car and said “you’re everything I’ve been looking for in a girlfriend”. Seven years later, and three weeks ago, he made me his wife
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A friend of mine was telling me how get very stressed and flustered husband was storming around the house and exclaimed “I’ve got a 100 things to do today”, he then stopped came over and gave her a kiss and said “now I’ve got 99 things to do today”.
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I am lucky enough to have had my own love story. An old workmate became a close friend who became my fiance in the end. We fell in love somewhere along the way and got together in June 2011. Sadly at this stage he had a terminal illness but during the time we got together to when he passed away in November 2011 I have never known such love. So much so that I gave up my life in the city to be with him in the country. He gave me a million special moments that I’ll never forget, and gave me the true meaning of ’till death do us part’. I will love you always sweetheart xx
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This is beautiful and heart breaking. I’m so sorry for your loss x
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Thank you Miss Finance, that’s very sweet.
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These stories from MMers are so lovely, thank you for sharing them.
I was sexually assaulted days after first meeting my bf. After a year, we broke up and about six months later, the criminal trial for the assault started. He took me to court every day and sat there quietly as I testified, hour after hour for two (or was it three?) weeks. He was there to hold my hand and help me breath in the court breaks, and took me home every night, made me dinner and put me to bed. He never tried on anything sexual – he just wanted to make sure I was okay.
A year later, we’re back together and I never ever want to be without him again. He is a friend of my soul.
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My Mum & Dad have been married 54 years in April this year. My Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year and even with all the ups & downs they always know that they are there for each other. A few years ago when my Mum had to have shoulder surgery, I dropped past to pick up my Dad so we could collect Mum from the hospital and he looked so happy. He said he was glad that we were picking Mum up now because “we’re just no good when we’re not together”. I have remembered those words over these years and every time they are having a bad day, I remind myself of them and that it will all be okay. That is the kind of love I always wanted (and am now lucky enough to have).
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Walking down the street one day an elderly lady asked if she could pass us to join her husband. My inquisitive 3yo asked me “why does she want to walk with him?” By this time they were holding hands. I replied “I suppose because she likes him and he’s her husband”. The lady then called out “I do like him, I even love him!”. We then asked how long they’d been married and she told me 47 years.
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Once upon a time, an ageing single mother chef became friends with the chef at her local where she stopped in for a much needed glass of vino on her way home each night. One night, he walked her home, and kissed her for two hours on her doorstep and two years later, to the very day, they married. There is a god. I have never known such love.
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I was doing the dishes a few months back when I broke a tea cup. It was no big deal but I’d had a bad day and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Upset, I called out to my husband, “Oh no, I just broke a cup!”and his response was “Good, we’ve got too many anyway!” I don’t know if he was just trying to cheer me up but it worked
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Last night my boyfriend laid his hands across my 6 month post baby belly ( getting smaller but still very flabby) and told me I was the most beautiful he had ever seen me.
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Awwwww! This made my eyes leak just a little bit
beautiful
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I am a single mum and after 4 pregnancies including one over 4.5kg, I am very conscious of my postbaby body even several years on.
I have a new partner and although he had said from early on that it didn’t matter to him, he said he understood how I felt and didn’t make a big deal of it. Last week he saw my stomach for the first time. He said ‘is that all!’ kissed it and then kissed me. A few days later he said ‘I love you’ for the first time.
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My boyfriend carrying me to the bathroom to be sick when I was just too weak to walk. He did this every hour for 48 hours, with no sleep.
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Mine is about a best friend.. we are in the UK at the moment living together for a few weeks before she leaves and right now we get to ride the tube together in the mornings.
Each morning before she gets off at her stop she gives me a little kiss and tells me she loves me. The other morning a lady leaned over to me and said ‘it might be best for everyone on the train if you leave that to behind closed doors’… WELL! In the pure shock & confusion had many things bubbling to the surface that I was bursting to say but I managed to contain myself and say that I hoped one day she would be able to find a best friend that loved her as much as mine do. – Admittedly I said it in a catty tone but it was still better than losing or saying nothing at all!
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My son constantly asks me when we’re going to get married because we love each other so much.
He’s a little bit confused but I hope one day we will both marry people we really love- obviously not each other though.
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My step-dad’s favourite thing to eat is Vegemite toast loaded up with butter, but my mum insists on a healthier diet for both of them. Last year when I took a mother-daughter holiday with my mum, I said to him laughingly ‘you’ll be able to have Vegemite toast for breakfast lunch and dinner while we’re away’. He replied ‘True – but I much prefer the days I’m not allowed to’.
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My own love story is that my hubby of 15 years records Here comes Honey Boo Boo for me when he knows I’m going to miss it….he hates Honey Boo Boo. And I always put a towel in the dryer for him when he’s under the shower, he loves warm towels….Sometimes it’s the little things…..
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How about some True Doggy Love?
I live with my teenage son & our Staffy, Boof. Since my teenage daughter died, Boof has been my shadow & has helped heal my heart.
Recently, Boof had minor surgery and a bit of a stay at the vet. I was pacing the house, waiting for him to be brought home. As I was staring for the zillionth time out of the front window, my son looks at me and says “Oh my God Mum – that’s EXACTLY what he does when you’re not here”.
Pet lovers will understand. <3
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My dad mopping the floor for my mum. They are farmers and have lived back-breaking hard working lives and as a child I don’t remember Dad doing anything domestic. He does now because he knows she shouldn’t. And every time I see it, I know that that’s the type of love I want in my life.
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My husband was required to testify regarding some work he had done, as a scientist, on a highly controversial project.
He was working closely with very high level government officials, barristers and environmental organisations. We were all in a room waiting when he was called, and he squeezed my hand, got up and walked out of the room. A second later he walked back in, pulled me put of my seat, kissed me, rested his forehead against mine, and took a deep breath. He said, ‘now I can do this,’ and he walked out of the room.
He always tells me that I am the centre of his world, and keep him focused on what really matters – which he needs, because he can be a workaholic perfectionist who is very dedicated.
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My husband and I have been married 16 years and together for 21 years (since 14) He has done hundreds of lovely romantic things for me over the years, when our sons where born, birthday etc. But the one that stands out the most, was one very normal evening, me on the laptop, Husband watching TV, boys asleep. when, with out taking his eyes off the TV he whispered ” I really like you.” Now I know that doesn’t sound so wonderful and belly flipping to most, but to me it means that he likes me…beyond anything else, past love, lust, looks, baring his children. It means that those days when you hate each other a little bit and sex takes the back seat, past our youthful bodies, not so trimmed and toned..he likes me. I like him right back
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My partner and I knew each other for a few years before we got together but while the attraction was there we were never in the right place to be together so finally one day we were and we went on our first date. At the end of the night we had our first kiss, one of those beautiful kisses when the guy cups your face in his hands. Then he looked in my eyes , stroked my cheek and said ‘I’ve wanted to do that for so long’. Im such a hopeless romantic, it was own little movie moment. Still together 6 years later
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My grandfather was very ill a few years back and my Nanna spent everyday with him in those last few weeks. I remember getting to the hospital one day and the nurse sat me down and told me that my grandfather had just passed away. I went in to his room to see my Nanna and my grandfather were still holding hands. She was there right to the end and it made me realise what wedding vows are really about “til death do we part”, despite the ups and downs in their marriage, they committed to their vows and loved and cared for each other right until the end. It’s been a beautiful lesson.
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Today.
My 9yo asked me “when are you going to see your friend again mum?”
My friend lives 6 hours away so it’s a weekend visit at a minimum.
I said “I don’t know. When I’m free of you two I guess”
My 5 yo then said “that will be never Mum” then gave me a gentle cuddle and kiss on the cheek.
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I’ve been going through a very rough patch since the end of last year with anxiety/depression that at one point had me melting into tears almost once every day. Due to everything that was going on in my own head, I haven’t really reflected until recently how incredible my boyfriend has been throughout all of this. The attention he pays to my every move is astounding and beautiful and I feel very loved in his presence. If I so much as hold my breath for a second or slump my shoulders he is there holding me, telling me that I can do it and that things are good and continuously getting better and better. When I look into his eyes I can see that he is searching to understand me so that he can help. He motivates me to be kinder to myself so that I can get stronger and support him as much as he supports me.
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I had only been with my boyfriend for a short time when on a night out I had had too much to drink. At the end of the night back at his place I got the spins when we went to bed and needed to vomit! I was hunched over the toilet bowl in just me knickers chucking my guts up and he came in and held my hair back and stroked me on the back. I knew he was a keeper then!
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I hope this family doesn’t mind me sharing this, as I don’t know them. However, it makes me Truly Believe.
I was in Hobart between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve and, for some reason, read obituaries in The Mercury (newspaper) over a coffee one morning. One of them was remarkable. It was actually for a married couple.
As I read the notice, I came to understand the couple (of Dutch origin) was married aged nineteen and twenty in 1938 on the verge of WWII, had a marriage of almost 75 years. They died just six days apart.
The published version was more personal and detailed, and included this sentence: ‘Our special Opa, at peace now with Oma. You spent so many years together in life, living without Oma became too hard.’ However, here is an online version: http://obituaries.themercury.com.au/obituaries/themercury-au/obituary.aspx?n=lambert-knoop&pid=161967255#fbLoggedOut
I just found a four year old article about them celebrating their 70th: http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2008/11/17/38771_tasmania-news.html
Amazing. And you thought the Notebook was a just a movie. http://www.mamamia.com.au/relationships/why-the-notebook-sucks/
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Last night when I was giving my 5 year old son a kiss and cuddle goodnight in his bed, he said “mum, I want to be with you forever. Right next to you, forever”.
He is my heart.
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Thank you for this. I have felt a little off today and a bit emotional… not sure why. This made me happy.
A group of four of my friends meets regularly for ‘family dinners’. They are not family per say, but we always say that you have the family you were born into, and the family you choose. I know these people would do anything for me just as my blood family would.
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sometimes it’s the little things…. I remember Chinese New Year a few years back. I’m alone in Brissy as my family still lives in Malaysia. I wasn’t able to fly back so I remember sitting down in my balcony, bawling my eyes out, missing them, when I heard a knock on the door. It was the guy I was seeing and he had managed to finish work early and brought over streamers, lanterns, poppers and sparklers! (he’s greek so the concept of chinese new year is a little ahem, greek to him). We had our own celebration on the balcony. Needless to say, we been together for 3 years now
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My boyfriend writes cards to me Shakespeare style. It is quite cute.
We were laying on the bed not long after we got together and he said to me “I don’t know what I’d do without you”
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My step-nan and step-pop had been together for eons. Hadn’t had an easy life – he was a shearer and she a shearer’s cook. Raised 5 kids on the move. They used to fight like cat and dog. Pop would have a few sherbets and call my step-dad and say ‘I’m leaving the bitch’. Oh yeah – they fought a beauty.
He died fairly suddenly. She didn’t last 6 months without him.
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My husband and I are expecting our second child, there is a 7 yr gap between our Daughter and baby. He complains a lot about how he’ll hate the sleepless nights, and the nappies and the crying when baby comes, but sometimes, at night, when we’re sitting and watching TV, he’ll lean over and kiss my belly, and I know that deep down, he’s already in love.
My grandma & grandpa still hold hands, everywhere they go. He helps her out of the car, and they hold hands walking to the shops or even just sitting on the lounge together. It’s such a little thing, but it always makes me smile
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I have depression that ebbs and flows in its intensity and some days are much tougher than others. After nervously awaiting the “right” moment to tell my current man about my illness, terrified he’d see me differently afterwards, his reaction? “So? I’ll always love you no matter what.”
Later that evening, he told me that I am the last girlfriend he’ll ever have.
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My Nanna was really sick and it was worst the past 5 years, and it made her house bound. She would sometimes sit on the front verandah just to get some ‘fresh air’. My Poppa would keep this bush in front of the verandah in the shape of a love heart just for her. She passed away in November- she made it to their 60th Wedding anniversary plus enough time to write the last thank you note. Till the day Nanna died, Poppa still gave her kisses and held her hand under the table. My Nanna even still looked at him adoringly like they were teenagers still and just falling in love.They are/were the best couple i knew. I just hope that im still that much in love after 60 years with my husband.
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When my 5 year old son tells me he loves me ‘all the ice cream in heaven’.
Because did you know – they never run out of ice cream in heaven.
Melts my heart
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Oh Nat, your story made me teary, how beautiful! My favourite love story is the one I have with my friends. We all met when we were in primary school and have been best friends ever since (in our 30′s now!). I remember we all got together when I broke up with my boyfriend and one of the girls said “you might feel lonely but remember you are never alone”. It’s stuck with me ever since. I’m never alone because I’ll always have them. I can imagine us as little old ladies, still sipping sparkling and giggling. They are my favourite people in the world.
http://thegoogleyear.blogspot.com.au/
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I like Evil Cupcake below, can’t remember the last time that I have felt love. I’m glad that some people are lucky though.
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I don’t, obviously, know your story. And I don’t want this to be in any way offensive, or upsetting, but I would like to share with you a story (not mine) of an older lady I knew who lost her husband suddenly after many happy years.
After a short while, we noticed that she very quickly seemed back to her old self. Unlike others we knew who had been through similar things, it almost seemed too fast? So we asked her. (Luckily she is a women who doesnt get offended easily.) Her reply?
“He was my light, but my life is my own. Without him, if I want light in my life I have to make it myself. So I do. I make it through my wonderful friends, my beautiful roses, the beach, a good book, a quiet cup of tea and other things like that.”
To this day, I don’t know if she ‘borrowed’ that sentiment or it was completely made up by her. And I also don’t care. I think I just wanted to say, that sometimes, as people, we get caught up in hoping others will be the love (or light) of our lives, and forget that we have the ability to do it ourselves.
Good luck with your own love story, however it pans out for you.
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I like that sentiment as well Ally.
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My boyfriend’s Pop refused to leave the house on Christmas day because he couldn’t leave his wife alone on Christmas, she has been dead for 4 or 5 years and we often hear him discussing the day with the urn in the lounge room.
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Today, I remembered my Nanna fondly telling me the story of meeting ‘Bert’ for the first time. He hung over the edge of a navy ship docked in the harbour and peeling an orange off the side yelled out, ‘Hello, Beautiful’. They wrote to each other constantly for nearly 3 years and when he came home, they we married. Good thing too, or I wouldn’t be here! MMT xxx
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You know….I have one from my housemate on the weekend. We went out to lunch and were having a giggle (we giggle A LOT in my house) about something and the topic of friends came up. My housemate said to me that her sister (housemate 2) told her she picks duds for friends. I said that we were friends and I’m not a dud!
She said “no, you’re not. But we were just really lucky to have you move into our house and now we’ve found each other”.
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Are these real? They all seem pretty similar and sort of over the top. I might just be being cynical though! Can’t wait to read MM commentor’s stories.
ps Nat, I adore your mini-love story. It’s gorgeous. That’s how I feel about my bf. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, check that he’s breathing, then go back to sleep. He’s young and very fit, but he’s so incredibly precious that I want to make sure that he’s happy and well constantly! Yes, I am a paranoid psycho…
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I guess there’s no telling if they are real or not – but I really hope they are! And thank you – you’re not a paranoid psycho, you’re just in love
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I do this too! It is insane. But good kind of insane
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I do this too!
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Today, like most days, my partner almost winded me as he rushed to hug me when I walked through the door.
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I tell you what, as beautiful as those mini love stories are, it’s so incredibly difficult to not be cynical while reading them, when you have no stories of your own.
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Really? Lots of these aren’t about experiencing the love story it is about witnessing it.
I could write heaps, how my Dad still writes my Mum poetry. How my friend fell in love with her not-yet-conceived child in front of me by buying finger puppets. How my grandfather refused to get out of bed in his nursing home one day until his wife came causing them to find my grandmother had suffered a stroke in her flat.
Sometimes I think we get very focused on ourselves. Witnessing joy in other people’s lives brings joy to mine everyday.
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I have never witnessed anything myself. I only ever hear of things second hand, like these stories today.
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Cupcake,
I don’t mean this to sound nearly as pitying as it may do- in fact I intend none whatsoever.
I truly hope you find the opportunities in life to see these love stories, or rather that they find you.
Be they small ones like a hug from a loved friend just when you need it most (and don’t realise it), or the great grand gestures of love- a la me & Ryan Gosling on Saturday night, or the old Russian couple at my grandmothers nursing home. At 95 and 93, their devotion to one another is heartwarming. Despite being sectioned into separate wings of the nursing home, every day they come together to eat, talk, and simply be together. The pure joy on his face when his wife is wheeled to him never fails to bring a tear to my eye. I want that love. The love so many people say doesn’t exist anymore. It does, we just have to look harder, and try that little bit more.
EvilCupcake, here’s to your love story.
J x
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really? i dont think you need a spouse to feel love. I was going through a rough time with my soon to be ex husband and uncannily my 3 year old nephew must have sensed it. When i left thr oom one day he asked his mum “whats a nice word i can tell aunty elise” she said “tell her she looks pretty” “no nicer than that” so when i came back in he said “You’re beautiful Aunty Elise”
even after being married i can honestly say ive never known such love as i have with my gorgeous nephews.
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