With Valentine's Day coming up, I started to think about tracking down a good love story.

That idea led to me think about the greatest love story ever told.But what, exactly, would that be?I asked around and discovered that there's no general consensus about whose love story is the greatest, whether real or fictitious.Some say Romeo and Juliet comes to mind. Of course, that love affair was literary and ends with the duo committing suicide.Then there's Mark Antony and Cleopatra - another tragedy described by Shakespeare back in 1623.How about Running Bear, the Indian brave, and Little White Dove, the maiden?Theirs was a story about overcoming obstacles.Their tribes hated each other and the lovers were separated by a river.Desiring to be together, they jumped into the swift water. They managed to swim to each other to kiss, but were swept away to their deaths.Why do so many sensational love stories have tragic endings?Some suggested Adam and Eve as the original love story.That one might be more convincing than another suggestion - Bonnie and Clyde.But again, talk about tragic endings.Another friend suggested characters played by Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw in "Love Story."I don't know if that one was the greatest, but it certainly was a tear-jerker.I'm not so sure fiction should qualify as a candidate for the world's greatest love story.If so, I'd nominate Scarlett O'Hara of "Gone With the Wind."She married high-flying Rhett Butler but clearly was in love with quiet Ashley Wilkes.And when it comes to fictitious love affairs, where do we draw the line?How about Popeye and Olive Oyl? It might've been a cartoon but definitely left an impression.Olive cared for baby Swee' Pea. But who was Swee' Pea's father? We never found out.Was Boris in love with Natasha? Clearly, I delved too deeply into implications when I simply should've enjoyed the animation.But let's talk real people.I think one of the world's greatest love stories took place in England with the saga of Queen Victoria.She ascended to the throne in 1837 and married a German who was her first cousin, Prince Albert.She loved Albert with her entire being. The couple had nine children.When Albert died in 1861 at age 42, Victoria's spirit was shattered.She didn't make a public appearance for three years.She actually mourned Albert for the rest of her life and wore black until her death, which took place 115 years ago yesterday.She died of a cerebral hemorrhage on Jan. 22, 1901, after reigning for 64 years. But for 40 of those, she mourned.If that doesn't constitute one of the world's most intense love affairs, then I'm not sure what does.Of course, for those into religion, the greatest love story might be found in the deity they worship.If love comes from God above, then the greatest love story would be the love of God for man.Christians, for example, might say: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son." But even that perspective is geographical and cultural.There are love stories among virtually all of the world's cultures and love doesn't belong to any one religion.It's healthy to discuss love, once described as a many-splendored thing.Given so much dissent and conflict in the news, isn't it refreshing to think about something positive?Undoubtedly, the most significant love story is the one which involves you.Love isn't proprietary, and that's one of the best things about it.If you happen to know a particularly compelling local love story, please email me at

dserfass@tnonline.com.