Valentine’s Day: Your Stories

Millions around the world will send flowers, write love letters and say "I love you" to their families, significant others and spouses to mark Valentine's Day today.

We each have our own romantic stories. Whether a first love, a first kiss or discovering a secret admirer, these stories are memorable moments.

At MyHeritage, we know how important  family and love are in our lives. Last week, we asked you to send in romantic stories of proposals, marriage and love from your unique family history.

Here we share a few of our favorites on this special day:

Donita:

Every day at recess in Memphis, Texas, students would roller skate around a sunken gym. During her senior year, my mother would take her skates, put them on, and circle the rink numerous times, unbeknownst that a fellow student who did not have skates, would spend the time, leaning on the upper rail, watching her until finally this young man became courageous enough to introduce himself as she came up out of the pit. This was the beginning of a romance that lasted more than 50 years. They dated for three years while he went to college and then, seven days before Pearl Harbor, they married. He (a farmer) and she (a housewife), raised three children who in turn gave them seven grandchildren who loved their grandparents dearly and owe their upbringing to Pappaw and Nannie. Then, five days before the couple had been married for 50 years, Mother died and every day after that, Daddy would say, "I want to go see Momma." Five years and four months later, God called him home and they are now together for Eternity in a place called Heaven!

Patricia:

At age 16, my late dad took a bracelet off of my mum’s arm at school. He said he would give it back to her the day they got married. He kept his promise many years later. While neither of them are with me anymore, I now have the bracelet, and it is very special to me.

Louise:

My sister Teresina and Cesar were neighbors in Italy. When she left for France, he gave her a small, golden heart. After a while, he arrived in France and they got married. They had two children. They lived together happily for over 60 years.

Danuta:

I want to tell you how I met my husband. I am 56, and was born with a disability. I always thought that as a disabled person I could not fall in love, let alone have a family. Thanks to the Internet, I went online to try to meet and write to men. On June 14, 2008, I received a reply from the town of Glogow. We began writing to each other every day and, one month later in July, we met for the first time. It was love at first sight. In less than a year, we married on Valentine’s Day in 2009. We have been happily married for four years.

Halina:

My parents met just like in the movies. Imagine a small, Ukrainian town in 1937 (today in Poland). In a small Jewish shop, a young, beautiful girl is buying cherries. Behind her a young stranger waits in line. The young girl's turn came and she bought a pound of cherries. She was surprised when suddenly the young man handed her a whole basket of cherries. From then on, it was the start of a romantic relationship. Soon after they were married, and gave birth to a daughter in 1939, amid the backdrop of World War II.

While not as cinematic as my parents, I met my husband in a romantic way, too. It was January 2, 1958. I had just spent New Year's Eve in the mountains and was waiting at the train station in Bielsko-Biala. When they announced my train to Rybnik, a young lieutenant in his uniform came up to me and said: "I think we are going on the same train." Since that train ride, we have been together for 55 years, for better or worse.

MyHeritage wishes you a wonderful day with your loved ones!