There’s you alone in my light. You are the only thing that makes my life right.

A sense of humor is important in a relationship.

Bert and Francine Snyder of West Penn grew up living 1 mile away from each other. The Carbon and Schuylkill County line passed right through Bert’s family farm, sending him to Lehighton for school and Francine to Tamaqua.

“We met at a neighbor’s picnic in 1985,” he said. “We found out we had a lot in common — both raised on a farm, close in age. I was 22. She was 19.”

“He was wearing a T-shirt,” Francine said. “On the front it said, ‘Sticks and Stones.’ On the back it said, ‘Whips and Chains Excite Me’ ”

Francine’s aunt lived next door to Bert, and when Francine walked her dog by his house to visit her aunt, she had him come out for many conversations.

“She was being a pain in the butt,” he said with a laugh. “I was afraid the poor dog was going to wear out the pads on his feet.”

Their impromptu get-togethers got serious, so serious that on one early Saturday in October, Francine asked what seemed to be a very casual question.

“What are you doing next Saturday?” she asked him.

“I don’t know. Why?” he replied.

“It’s my birthday,” she said. “Why don’t we get married?”

After some thoughtful deliberation, he agreed. “I thought, good. I’d have to buy her one gift only for our ‘annerbirthday.’ I tell people we had to get married, but it’s not for what they think. She would have killed her dog if she dragged it down the street any more than she did.”

They were married on Oct. 18, 1986, at the top of the hill in Strauss Valley above his farm.

“To this day, we question whether it was legal,” Francine said. “We had a justice of the peace from Schuylkill County marry us, but we might have been standing on the Carbon County side.”

Bert suffered two heart attacks in 2013. During the second one, he collapsed on the hospital floor and flatlined. “The doctor brought him back,” Francine said. She explained that even during such a critical crisis, Bert did not lose his sense of humor.

“When the minister arrived, he said to him, ‘If marriage is till death do us part, do I get an out of jail free pass now?’ ”

They are both looking forward to their 40th anniversary next October.

I want to be with you. No one else will do.

Sometimes love happens when opposites attract.

For James Supra and Jonice Tracy of Palmerton, their relationship had a somewhat cautious beginning because both had previous long-term commitments that ended with broken hearts.

“I’m a professional musician with my own band,” James said, “and Jonice showed up when I was performing at ArtsQuest in Bethlehem. She sent me a ‘great show’ message on social media and then we began a friendship that lasted about a year. With both of us coming off broken relationships, we were a bit cautious. I was fully invested in my career, but I still thought the timing was right for us to take the next step.”

Jonice has worked at Hecktown Oaks Infusion Center, a branch of Lehigh Valley Health Network, for four years. “I had been married for 26 years,” she said, “and I have two daughters who are both captains in the military. I think what first attracted me to James was that he was so much not what I was used to having in my life. His upbringing was different than mine. I needed someone to ground me. He had many more relationships than I had. I got married when I was just 20. I like to say he’s not my normal, and I have gotten to meet so many more people at his performances.”

She takes much more than a passing interest in his music career. “I go to all his shows, not because I have to go, but because I want to go. Now I’m his publicist, too.” Jonice summed up her relationship with James in one short sentence.

“I’m all in.”

When I look in your eyes, I find only my truth and no lies.

Love can happen after a bad first impression.

In 1986, Kurtis and Tammy Miles of Palmerton met in a Northampton High School science class, but it was hardly love at first sight. “The first words she ever said to me in that class was, ‘Turn around. You’re an a******!’” said Kurtis.

“And that was because he was picking on everybody and making fun of them in the class, and I made sure I wasn’t going to be one of them,” Tammy explained.

The relationship took a sharp turn. They had a few dates up until their prom was approaching.

“I had asked someone else,” said Kurtis, “but that fell through so then I asked Tammy. She said yes.”

He decided to attend a vocational school to study horticulture and talked Tammy into studying the same field because “she liked flowers and plants.”

Exactly one year after they were married on Sept. 6, 1989, Kurtis’ mom called to wish them a happy anniversary.

“We were watching TV at the very hectic time and we both had forgotten it was our anniversary,” he said. I turned to Tammy and said, ‘Happy Anniversary’ and she said, ‘Same to you.’ Then I turned up the volume to watch the rest of the TV show.”

With one child born and another on the way, financial woes struck them hard. Kurtis was laid off and had to take another job.

“I was eight months pregnant and got a job working in a retail store,” said Tammy, “and one month after our second child was born I went back to work. We both believe you do what you have to do to keep a relationship going.” 

Kurtis has been diagnosed with a blood cell cancer that has no cure, and it often leaves him weak and tired. “When I was told, I said, ‘I have no choice but to accept what I got and try to live my life the best I can.’ ”

“It’s hard and a struggle, of course,” Tammy added, “but like always we will do what we need to do.”

Besides their four sons and three grandsons, Kurtis and Tammy took into their home a 10-month-old foster child. “Mileena had a rare genetic disease,” Kurtis said. “She was doing fine until she suddenly passed away from cardiac arrest. We had her for just six months.”

When two heart beat as one, our lives have just begun.

It’s never too late to fall in love again.

After both of their spouses had died, Gary and Irene Batchelder of Saylorsburg were married on Dec. 1, 2023.

“I was married for 52 years,” said Gary who is now 68.

“And I was married for 44 years,” said Irene, who is now 74.

Irene’s husband had been Gary’s car mechanic for 30 years.

After her husband Mike died, his wife, Sally, sent Irene a sympathy card that read, “Birds may fly away but their song lingers on. Roses may lose their bloom, but their fragrance remains.”

Sally passed away a few months later and Gary decided to check on Irene, who lived less than a mile away.

“We talked a lot about our spouses,” said Gary. “Then we decided to go to a 12-week program called Grief Share. We’re both Christians and I began to think that God put her into my mind for a reason.”

They went grocery shopping together, attended a senior expo in the Poconos. He continued to check on Irene, especially on holidays when he wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t be alone.

“It was the time when COVID hit,” said Irene. “I wouldn’t let Gary in my house for quite a while and when I finally did, my dog liked him — so that meant to me that he had good character.”

She soon found out that was true. He opened the car for her. And while grocery shopping, he helped a short woman reach something from the top shelf.

“My first attempt to kiss her did not go well,” he said. “She freaked out, but I did get one on her cheek soon after.”

On a visit to the Blue Ridge Winery in May of 2023, Gary popped the question, and never one to act spontaneously, Irene didn’t hesitate and accepted his proposal.

“I believe God pushed us together,” she said.

With both of their families’ blessings, they we married on Dec. 1.

“We celebrate every first of the month,” he said “We go to dinner. I buy her roses or champagne just because. … Every day is a gift. Every day we make it a point to enjoy life.”

The feeling inside my heart is that we will never be apart.

With a chuckle, Bert Snyder said, “Love is saying ‘Yes, dear’ and calling my wife, ‘Oh Great One.’ Seriously, Francine and I share the same values, and we see life pretty much eye to eye. Francine added, “It’s acceptance no matter what faults we have, through good times and bad times. Like Bert said, we are so much alike, we can often complete each other’s thoughts.”

James Supra said, “Love is learning to forgive yourself from being self-centered and learning to put someone you deeply care about before yourself.” Jonice Tracy said, “Love must be passionate, kind and selfless. And at the end of the day, it’s racing home to be with someone who matters most to you.”

“Love is wanting to always be with someone special. You can’t wait to call her when you’re apart and share everything together,” Kurtis Miles said. His wife, Tammy, said, “To be faithful, to go through thick and thin together is love.”

Gary Batchelder said, “You have to be vulnerable and open yourself to trust your mate.”

His wife, Irene, added, “God is love. The Bible says love is patient and kind and that’s important to create an intimate bond together.”

Four couples will be in love on Valentine’s Day — no matter what they do or don’t do to celebrate — and every day thereafter for the rest of their lives.