Thursday, Feb 14, 2013 3:43 PM UTC

Love isn’t dead. Here’s proof

From Bey and Jay-Z to a couple who predate the Truman administration, a list of loves that challenge and inspire us SLIDE SHOW

By Katie Mcdonough

more
- All Share Services

Topics: slideshow, Love, relationships, Sex, Divorce, Same-sex marriage, Gay Marriage, Marriage equality, Life News, Entertainment News, News

(Credit: Meryl Shenker)

It’s Valentine’s Day, everyone. If you’re like me, you are wondering what there could possibly be to celebrate in an era when the Internet has killed courtship and Taylor Swift is seemingly incapable of finding the one.

Oh, I jest. People still go on dates and T-Swizzle is 23 years old and figuring stuff out, so please everyone just get off her back, OK?

Love isn’t dead. It’s actually kind of everywhere. It’s fleeting. It disappears only to show up again later. It doesn’t always look the way we thought it would. And it often involves a lot of heartbreak and frustration. But it happens, and it’s real.

Just to prove it to you, I’ve compiled a list of couples that remind us all that romance takes many shapes and forms over a lifetime. So kick back, crack open a box of Russell Stovers and come on this love journey with me. And feel free to tell me in the comments which couples inspire you.

Love isn't dead. Here's proof (slideshow)

close X

Barack and Michelle Obama

Seriously, people: What's not to love about Barack and Michelle? They are smart, professionally accomplished presidential hotties that genuinely seem to like each other. They also give off the distinct impression that there is still sex happening in the executive bedroom, and while I generally don't support trickle-down theories, I'm thinking this might be one case where success at the top is to everyone's benefit.

Credit: Reuters
Lt. Col. Heather Mack and Ashley Broadway

When the the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses offered army wife Ashley Broadway a "special guest membership" -- instead of the full membership she was due -- to the spouses' club on base, Broadway told them, politely, where they could stick that special guest membership. Then she fought the discriminatory policies that would keep gay spouses out of base life -- and won. How's that for the power of love?

Credit: Ashley Broadway
Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt

As another adult woman in a long-term committed but never-going-to-be-married (sorry, mom!) relationship, I have a special kind of love for Westfeldt and Hamm's lasting partnership. They are also just really, really attractive. And judging from Jon Hamm's various television incarnations ("Man Men," "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock"), he seems game for almost anything, which Dan Savage says makes you great in bed. Good for you, Hammy!

Credit: Associated Press
Larry Duncan and Randy Shepherd

Duncan and Shepherd became viral sensations after having their Washington state nuptials captured on film. With their matching beards, plaids and hunting caps, the real story of this grizzly-bear couple (together for 11 years) is that true love waits — even while our laws catch up with them.

Credit: Meryl Shenker
Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly

Former representative Giffords really doesn't need any introduction, does she? Since surviving an assassination attempt, the Arizona lawmaker has become one of the most vocal -- and compelling -- advocates for gun control in the country. And as for Mark Kelly? He is an astronaut. He has been to space. Have you ever been to space? I didn't think so.

Credit: Associated Press
John and Ann Betar

The Betars have been married for more than 80 years. That's before the Internet was even a gleam in Al Gore's eye! Lord only knows if they've ever sexted or ping'd or poked one another! All the same, they are clearly doing something right! Their advice for relational longevity? Simple: "Don't hold a grudge," they told ABC News.

Credit: Heather Mitchell
Matthew Griffin and Raymie Wolfe

Even though they knew it would be rejected, Griffin and Wolfe submitted an application for a marriage license in Tennessee. What follows is a polite exchange with a city clerk, and a seriously beautiful testimonial from Wolfe about what Griffin means to him, and what their marriage would mean to him. Watch it, but get your tissues ready first.

Credit: J. Miles Cary, Knoxville News Sentinel
Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Okay, so I'm not wild about the old-school connotations of the "Mrs. Carter" tour, but since Bey doesn't even need a last name half the time, let's look past it. Between the woman who caused a blackout at the Super Bowl and the man who can even charm the "I don't watch television" old lady New York City types on the subway, there's just a lot to love here.

Credit: Associated Press
Suleika Jaoaud and Seamus McKiernan

Jaoud pens the "Life, Interrupted" column for the New York Times, documenting her experiences as a young woman with cancer. She does an exquisite job of reminding us that illness does not preclude the everyday challenges, small victories and big romances that shape all of our lives, and her clear, honest writing (and this wonderful video ) is proof that life with cancer, while maybe interrupted, is no less a life.

Credit: Anne Francey, New York Times
Caitlin Moran and Pete Paphides

The feminist and the rock critic. It doesn't get much cooler than that, does it?

Credit: The Sunday Times
Bill Ott and Shelley Belgard

Here's how Shelley describes the first time she saw Bill: "You know that scene in ‘Dirty Dancing’ where Baby meets Johnny for the first time? It was kind of like that.” Bill and Shelley met when they were teenagers, and against what their families and doctors had predicted (Shelley was born with fluid building up inside her skull which doctors thought would prove fatal; Bill, with Down syndrome) they fell in love and married. Their story is unique -- and absolutely ordinary. Bill's favorite part of their marriage? To “live with a woman who I’ve loved ever since I met her.”

Credit: The Belgard Family
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally

A casual poll of the Salon office revealed this couple packs serious on- and offscreen heat. Whether they're tearing it up (literally) as Ron Swanson and Tammy "2" on "Parks and Recreation" or just killin' it with their cute, relatable love in interviews like this one, they're a joy to watch. Also, a quick search for Offerman on the Associated Press site reveals the following headline: "Offerman on new movie, love for wife." Damn, Swanson!

Credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Waudda and Carol Faried

The Farieds raised none other than Kenneth "the Mannimal" Faried of the Denver Nuggets. And they raised him well, shaping Faried into a rare advocate for gay and lesbian families in a sports culture flooded with homophobia. Kenneth's video "No one can tell me I can't have two mothers ..." (adorable, I know) shows Carol and Waudda, clearly used to letting Kenneth take the spotlight, staring at their feet, smiling awkwardly and just generally coming across as loving (if spotlight-averse) parents.

Credit: YouTube
Laurie Bryant and Robert Mitchell Haire

Want to know why to love this couple? Here is the first line of their wedding announcement: "The bride, 97, is keeping her name." The groom is a sprightly 86, which, I guess, makes Laurie Bryant something of a cougar. No matter! This couple, who met in 2007 and sustained a friendship that blossomed into love, is proof that age ain't nothin' but a number.

Credit: Robert L. Bryant
Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee-Colbert

In a rare interview (that's just how Oprah rolls, people), Evelyn McGee-Colbert joins Stephen to talk about their 19-year marriage. And, obviously, it kind of rules. From anecdotes from their humble dating origins while Stephen was a broke improv comic, to her rule about her husband's television alter-ego not being welcome in their home, their relationship is brimming with genuine affection and laughter.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Joe and Jill Biden

The Biden's love story is genuinely inspirational: A widower with two kids finds love again and together, Joe and Jill build a beautiful, blended family. But the real appeal of the vice-presidential couple is, I think, the network sitcom that I imagine their life resembles. Can't you just picture Jill saying "Joe, why are you covered in cereal right now?" Or, "Joe, why are you using my favorite dress to buff Air Force One? Did you lose a bet with Barack?" Mishaps galore! And doesn't "Everyone loves Biden" or "The King of Number One Observatory Circle" just have a certain ring?

Credit: Associated Press
Recent Slide Shows

Katie Mcdonough

Katie McDonough is an assistant editor for Salon, focusing on lifestyle. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com. More Katie Mcdonough.

more
- All Share Services

Cary Tennis

College debt is destroying my life

Next Article

Featured Slide Shows

7 motorist-friendly camping sites

close X

Sponsored Post

White River National Forest via Lower Crystal Lake, Colorado
For those OK with the mainstream, White River Forest welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year, making it the most-visited recreation forest in the nation. But don’t hate it for being beautiful; it’s got substance, too. The forest boasts 8 wilderness areas, 2,500 miles of trail, 1,900 miles of winding service system roads, and 12 ski resorts (should your snow shredders fit the trunk space). If ice isn’t your thing: take the tire-friendly Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway — 82 miles connecting the towns of Meeker and Yampa, half of which is unpaved for you road rebels.
fs.usda.gov/whiteriveryou

Image credit: Getty
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest via Noontootla Creek, Georgia
Boasting 10 wildernesses, 430 miles of trail and 1,367 miles of trout-filled stream, this Georgia forest is hailed as a camper’s paradise. Try driving the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which saw Civil War battles fought. If the tall peaks make your engine tremble, opt for the relatively flat Oconee National Forest, which offers smaller hills and an easy trail to the ghost town of Scull Shoals. Scaredy-cats can opt for John’s Mountain Overlook, which leads to twin waterfalls for the sensitive sightseer in you.
fs.usda.gov/conf

Image credit: flickr/chattoconeenf
Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area via Green Road, Michigan
The only national forest in Lower Michigan, the Huron-Mainstee spans nearly 1 million acres of public land. Outside the requisite lush habitat for fish and wildlife on display, the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is among the biggest hooks for visitors: offering beach camping with shores pounded by big, cerulean surf. Splash in some rum and you just might think you were in the Caribbean.
fs.usda.gov/hmnf

Image credit: umich.edu
Canaan Mountain via Backcountry Canaan Loop Road, West Virginia
A favorite hailed by outdoorsman and author Johnny Molloy as some of the best high-country car camping sites anywhere in the country, you don’t have to go far to get away. Travel 20 miles west of Dolly Sods (among the busiest in the East) to find the Canaan Backcountry (for more quiet and peace). Those willing to leave the car for a bit and foot it would be remiss to neglect day-hiking the White Rim Rocks, Table Rock Overlook, or the rim at Blackwater River Gorge.
fs.usda.gov/mnf

Image credit: Getty
Mt. Rogers NRA via Hurricane Creek Road, North Carolina
Most know it as the highest country they’ll see from North Carolina to New Hampshire. What they may not know? Car campers can get the same grand experience for less hassle. Drop the 50-pound backpacks and take the highway to the high country by stopping anywhere on the twisting (hence the name) Hurricane Road for access to a 15-mile loop that boasts the best of the grassy balds. It’s the road less travelled, and the high one, at that.
fs.usda.gov/gwj

Image credit: wikipedia.org
Long Key State Park via the Overseas Highway, Florida
Hiking can get old; sometimes you’d rather paddle. For a weekend getaway of the coastal variety and quieter version of the Florida Keys that’s no less luxe, stick your head in the sand (and ocean, if snorkeling’s your thing) at any of Long Key’s 60 sites. Canoes and kayaks are aplenty, as are the hot showers and electric power source amenities. Think of it as the getaway from the typical getaway.
floridastateparks.org/longkey/default.cfm

Image credit: floridastateparks.org
Grand Canyon National Park via Crazy Jug Point, Arizona
You didn’t think we’d neglect one of the world’s most famous national parks, did you? Nor would we dare lead you astray with one of the busiest parts of the park. With the Colorado River still within view of this cliff-edge site, Crazy Jug is a carside camper’s refuge from the troops of tourists. Find easy access to the Bill Hall Trail less than a mile from camp, and descend to get a peek at the volcanic Mt. Trumbull. (Fear not: It’s about as active as your typical lazy Sunday in front of the tube, if not more peaceful.)
fs.usda.gov/kaibab

Image credit: flickr/Irish Typepad
As the go-to (weekend) getaway car for fiscally conscious field trips with friends, the 2013 MINI Convertible is your campground racer of choice, allowing you and up to three of your co-pilots to take in all the beauty of nature high and low. And with a fuel efficiency that won’t leave you in the latter, you won’t have to worry about being left stranded (or awkwardly asking to go halfsies on gas expenses).

Image credit: miniusa.com
Recent Slide Shows

1 Comments

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon