Many of us don’t know the full story behind our parents’ courtship and marriage, let alone the details of our grandparents’ early romance. Or we haven’t thought to share our own love story with our children and grandchildren.

With Valentines Day less than a week away, it seems like a good time to ask those questions of our parents and grandparents or share those special memories with our children and grandchildren.

I know that, for me, it was so enjoyable to hear my grandmother talk about her initial impressions of my grandfather, their first “date,” and how he proposed. Just by seeing that familiar sparkle of first love in her eye as she recalled distant memories, I felt closer to her than ever before. 

Not only was I able to relate to the feelings of this young-girl-in-love who married my grandfather over 60 years ago, but I could fully appreciate the profound impact of this seemingly simple romance in a small town in rural Alabama on so many lives. My mother, me, my kids (not to mention the other 4 daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren) … We’re all here because of that first kiss.

We don’t always take the time to ask, but most of us –sometime in the not-so-distant future–will want to know. After all, don’t we all love a good love story? Especially when we’re in it. 

And we’re all in at least one ….