image descriptions, all 17 images are black text on yellow background, each block of text has one section highlighted in red:
"Every year for 57 years, he sent me flowers on the anniversary of our first date, even when he was hospitalized for 179 days. He passed away two years ago. Now on September 24, I buy myself flowers, but they don't smell quite as sweet.
Marion Evans
78, Beacon Falls, Conn.
My parents declared bancruptcy when I was in my teens. We were evicted once because they couldn't pay the rent. A few years ago my husband secretly paid off the mortgage on our home and presented it to me one night with champagne, saying, "Now no one can ever take this home from you."
Michelle McDonald
64, Los Angeles"
highlighted sections:
he sent me flowers on the anniversary of our first date, even when he was hospitalized for 179 days.
my husband secretly paid off the mortgage
"When I was a girl, I had a collection of little plastic horses that I loved. My very efficient mother decided I was too old for them, so she threw them out. I was heartbroken. One day, my husband of 40-plus years went out for groceries and returned with a small brown paper bag. Inside were seven beautiful plastic horses. I clutched them to my heart and burst into tears.
Deborah Thomases
75, Redmond, Wash."
highlighted section:
Inside were seven beautiful plastic horses.
"I wrote my fiancé a letter every day from the night we got engaged until the night before our wedding - 434 in total. I gave him the letters on our wedding day as a reminder that I would choose him every day, come what may.
Chioma Obianyor
40, Houston
My husband was an enthusiastic triathlete. I have always detested running. For our anniversary one year, I secretely started a couch-to-5K program. On our anniversary, I gave him the registration materials for us to run a race together. He was totally shocked. I still hate running.
Debby Popkin
56, Southington, Conn."
highlighted sections:
I gave him the letters on our wedding day
I secretely started a couch-to-5K program.
"I meticulously planned my boyfriend's 40th birthday party, hiring caterers, reaching out to his longtime friends, etc. As he was opening gifts, he called me over and drpped to one knee to thank me. I thought "why is he kneeling down?" I was so taken aback I didn't know what to say. "I think you're supposed to say 'yes'," he said.
Jacqui Rose
73, Red Hook, N.Y.
When I was 22, I was hospitalized for over a month for intensive acute leukemia treatment. On Valentine's Day, my then-fiancé (now husband) walked me down to the cafeteria. He had set up a candlelit home-cooked meal. It felt like a slice of normalcy in such a chaotic time.
Grace Brunemann
26, Cincinnati
highlighted sections:
"I think you're supposed to say 'yes',"
He had set up a candlelit home-cooked meal.
"My spouse of six years quit drinking alcohol with me over a year ago, when I finally admitted that I had been struggling with addiction. The decision to forgive myself and quit - with his unwavering acceptance and support - revitalized our marriage. I am so proud of the team we have become.
Erica Zwahlen
31, Arvada, Co.
I surprised my husband for our 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Paris. He didn't know until we pulled up in front of the Air France terminal at Chicago O'Hare airport. He's gone now. We'll always have Paris.
Cheryl Voglesong
69, Detroit"
highlighted sections:
My spouse of six years quit drinking alcohol with me
We'll always have Paris.
"I was getting ready to take my final exams to earn a masters degree in psychology. I had been studying for weeks and was extremely stressed. When I drove onto campus, there were signs taped up with big letters that said, "You can do this!" My fiancé (now husband of 40 years) had gotten off work at 11 p.m. and posted the signs. I passed!
Leah Narro
64, Greenville, S.C."
highlighted section:
"You can do this!"
"Just as I was becoming a mother, I lost my own mom to breast cancer. She was an eccentric self-taught artist, and I unexpectedly found a painting of hers hanging in a coffee shop in Montana during a visit. My husband tracked down the owner and bought it. My mother would have loved knowing that the piece of her art that sold for the most money, and elicted the greatest emotion, was purchased by her son-in-law for her daughter when she needed it the most.
Wendy Altschuler
47, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Twenty years ago, the man who is now my husband asked if I could be available right after work. I said yes, and he told me to dress warm. He picked me up and drove to the nearby mountains, where we strapped on snowshoes and hiked uphill for about 20 minutes. We sat on the snow and had a picnic in the glow of moonlight and candles.
Anne Taylor
70, La Grande, Ore."
highlighted sections:
I unexpectedly found a painting of hers
We sat on the snow and had a picnic in the glow of moonlight and candles.
Image 8:
"Jack and I knew we were going to get engage, but I wanted to surprise him. My extended family was all going to Costa Rica, and coincidentally, Jack's family was too. We were to split our time between the families. The "story" was that we were going for happy hour drinks at a hotel. The proposal was perfect, and then it was time for an engagement party - we had 30-plus of our most important people together in the most beautiful place to celebrate our love!
Nate Turk
28, San Francisco
I was pregnant with our oldest child and on bed rest over Valentine's Day. My husband bought ingredients and learned to cook one of my favourite Italian dishes. He served me the meal by candlelight in bed. Over two decades and three kids later, we all still celebrate Valentine's with that same special homemade meal.
Amy Miles
48, Alexandria, Va."
highlighted sections:
I wanted to surprise him.
He served me the meal by candlelight in bed.
"It was Valentine's Day. We were students, and I was flat broke. I went into a flower shop but could only afford a pitiful arrangement. All over the floor were loose rose petals. I asked if I could gather up the rejects. I made a carpet of rose petals on our bed and spread the rest down the stairway. When she came home, it took her breath away.
Brian McCarthy
54, Portland, Ore."
highlighted section:
I made a carpet of rose petals.
"My husband grew up in a large family where resources were tight. He always wanted a Schwinn bike from a particular shop in Chicago, but he only got hand-me-downs. We married and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our daughters were growing, and our resources were also tight, but I got the idea of finally getting him the Schwinn for his 40th birthday. I had it shipped from the shop in Chicago and made a little boy's dream come true!
Carol Walovich
72, San Mateo, Calif.
One spring day, out of the blue, a fellow MBA student knocked at my dorm room. He read a poem he had written just for me and gave me a bouquet of red roses. I was dating someone else, so I was stunned. No one had ever made themselves so emotionally vulnerable to me. That was 45 years ago - we've been married for 44.
Jane Olenchuk
72, San Francisco"
highlighted sections:
He always wanted a Schwinn bike from a particular shop in Chicago
No one had ever made themselves so emotionally vulnerable to me.
"On our very first date in college, we talked about the books we loved. A few months later on my birthday, he was so excited to give me a present: my favorite novel. On the title page was a personal birthday note from the author. After our first date, he contacted the publisher to make it happen. I was speechless. We've been together for 10 years.
Sarah Dugan
32, Minneapolis"
highlighted section:
he was so excited to give me a present: my favorite novel.
"The year we lost a pregnancy in the third trimester, I couldn't bring myself to do anything except stay at home. For my birthday six months later, my husband made a list of all the best things to do within a 50-mile radius. He had printouts of menus, maps and reviews. I loved being driven around checking off the activities, knowing how much time he put into making me get out of the house.
Frances Smith
49, Holliston, Mass.
We'd been dating for about four months when Valentine's Day rolled around and it was time to exchange gifts. She had me close my eyes and came back with a simple rocking chair. I was stunned: I had offhandedly mentioned how I wanted one someday in the far-off future. It was an indicator of how she would be as a girlfriend, wife and later mother to our two kids, both of whom were rocked to sleep in that very same chair.
Sarah Winawer-Wetzel
42, Philadelphia"
highlighted sections:
my husband made a list of all the best things to do within a 50-mile radius.
She had me close my eyes and came back with a simple rocking chair.
"It was his birthday. We had just bought a house and I called all my buddies up, got trucks and trailers and moved everything. I told him to meet me at the new house and I would cook him dinner. Instead, he showed up and we were completely moved in - all his clothes unpacked and hung, toiletries set up, books on shelves."
Morgan Sedgwick
43, Hawaii
highlighted section:
I called all my buddies up, got trucks and trailers and moved everything.
"As I walked off the plane at nearly 10 p.m., my boyfriend called me: "I'm here." He had driven to JFK airport from Massachusetts to pick me up and drive me to my parents' house in New Jersey. I couldn't fathom that he had spent the prior five-plus hours in the car, only to make my life easier. I had watched rom-coms my whole life; on that night, I felt like I was in a movie!
Priya Sethi
25, New York City
I do the crossword every Sunday. My now-fiancé commissioned a custom crossword to propose to me, swapped out the real one for the fake, and waited for me to get to those clues. I said, "Hey this is a crazy thing to ask, but are you proposing to me through the crossword right now?" When I turned around, he was on one knee.
Michelle Desien
31, Denver"
highlighted sections:
He had driven to JFK airport from Massachusetts to pick me up
My now-fiancé commissioned a custom crossword to propose to me
"My wife, Robin, loves penguins. As our 20th anniversary approached, I wrote to an aquarium and asked if it might be possible for her to help feed the penguins. I kept it a secret until the last minute. Her smile while holding Maynard the penguin was priceless.
Paul Cohen
78, Austin, Texas"
highlighted section:
Her smile while holding Maynard the penguin was priceless.
"My now-husband and I started dating just before Christmas. I was living in an apartment and it felt weird to decorate, living alone. He showed up on our third date with a beautiful live Christmas tree over his shoulder. We've been together for 20 years.
Emily Porch
42, Santa Rosa, Calif.
My boyfriend and I were long distance. During a particularly ardent late-night call, he said he couldn't sleep without me. He drove over four hours through the night just so we could fall asleep together.
T. Lance
59, Carmel, Ind."
highlighted section:
He drove over four hours through the night just so we could fall asleep together.
"For my husband's 69th birthday, I asked his older sister to drive me to the neighbourhoods where they grew up. I photographed the grocery store, his schools, the churches he attended, the vacant lot where his childhood home once stood. I printed the photos and placed them in an album. My husband, a verbose storyteller, especially about his life growing up as one of nine siblings, was very surprised.
Nola Nolen
74, Harmony, Pa.
In 2010 my husband was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. Unbeknown to me, in between his treatments, he planned my life without him. Every little detail: where I should live, how to control finances by setting up payments, my health concerns. Everything. That is how he left me to go on without him. That is a romantic gesture.
highlighted section:
in between his treatments, he planned my life without him.
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