The words above are the lyrics to my grandparent’s song. On their 70th wedding anniversary, they still wanted to hear a song that had been special to them in bygone years. How romantic!

‘Romantic’ can be used as an adjective or a noun and has several meanings. As an adjective, it relates to love or romance, or describes something exciting or mysterious, idealistic or unrealistic. A romantic is a person who thinks a lot about love or an artist or writer who emphasizes emotion or imagination in their work. It can also be a person who is not realistic or practical. This is what AI says.

I pulled my old copy of Webster’s off the shelf, feeling a bit romantic in the process. Heroic, adventurous, impractical, mysterious and idealized. Yes, looking up a word in the dictionary is all of this.

Romanticize Your Life

Maybe those words don’t describe your life at all. Maybe you live barely making it from one day to the next. Maybe you keep your practical nose to the proverbial grindstone. Maybe it seems the heroine has become a couch potato. If you are feeling a bit blah about your life, there is still hope. Try these tips for a little more romance!

Be adventurous. Go outside and take one ride down a short hill on a sled. Take a different road home. If you always get vanilla, try caramel for a change. Paint a picture just to see what happens. Read a book in a genre you’ve never read before. Do a 30 day challenge. Dress like you are in love.

Be just a little impractical. Talk to your chickens. Fill the bird feeder and then ring a bell to let the birdies know it’s dinner time. Sew on a heart shaped patch. Use the good silver and cloth napkins. Carry a candle up to bed. Use an electric candle for the same effect and more safety. Write a letter with a fountain pen. Seal it with a bit of candle wax. Something about writing about my life and seeing it on paper makes it look a lot rosier. You are probably right now living a life you only dreamed of at one time. Document it even if there doesn’t seem to be a reason.

Invite mystery into your life. Hide secret surprises in the bookshelf or behind the cupboard door. Even a bouquet of cilantro in the fridge feels like a bit of beauty when you are standing there wondering what to make for supper. Put lace or ribbon on the edge of a shelf in a closet that only you will see. Buy some lingerie, or actually wear the lingerie you have. Put on a secret smile like Mona Lisa. Don’t tell everything you know.

You can always read poetry or a book with an adventurous, impractical heroine. Anne Shirley, Pollyanna, or Sara Crewe are all romantic heroines. Try out those rose colored glasses!

True Love Stories

If you are in the mood for romance, here is a short collection of true love stories. I have either read these, or they have been recommended by my book club. If you think of a book that would fit in this list while you are reading, please tell us about it in the comments. We would like to have a long and varied collection of true love stories.

My Sergei: A Love Story by Ekaterina Gordeeva (1996) Let’s begin with the most romantic and tragic love story I have ever read. Olympic gold medalist, Ekaterina Gordeeva tells the account of her life with figure skating partner and husband, Sergei Grinkov. The story follows their life together from first introduction to romance and marriage.

Tisha The Wonderful True Love Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness by Robert Specht (1977) In 1927, at age nineteen, Anne Hobbs took a job teaching school in Chicken, Alaska. She accepted the Native American children into her classroom and eventually fell in love with a half-Inuit man. The effects of these actions prompted her to say, “People can be as mean as the weather.” She also discovered they were capable of great good. This story is recorded as told to Robert Specht.

Mrs. Mike: The Story of Katherine Mary Flannigan by Benedict and Nancy Freedman (1987) Recently arrived in Calgary, Alberta after a long hard journey from Boston, sixteen-year-old Katherine Mary O’Fallan never imagined that she could lose her heart so easily– or so completely. Standing over six feet tall, with “eyes so blue you could swim in them,” Mike Flannigan is a well-respected sergeant in the Canadian Mounted Police– and a man of great courage, kindness, and humor. Together he and his beloved Kathy manage to live a good, honest life in this harsh and unforgiving land, and find strength in a love as beautiful and compelling as the wilderness around them. Recommended by Krista. (Amazon description)

I Married Adventure: The Lives of Martin and Osa Johnson by Osa Johnson (1997) Once upon a time a Kansas teenager named Osa Leighty married Martin Johnson, a pioneering photographer, who had just returned from a ’round the world cruise with Jack London. Together they traveled the world with Martin behind the camera and Osa with a rifle at the ready in case the big game model they were photographing turned unfriendly. With rich detail and heart-stopping anecdotes, this memoir traces their careers in vivid detail. Includes many dramatic photos that made the Johnsons famous. Recommended by Ashley.

Invitation to Tea by Monica Lang (1952) Monica marries the English tea planter, George, a man she has known since school days. Their life together begins in Bombay, India and she gains victory over the depression, loneliness, and fear as they share their isolated jungle life. Their love does not fail them. Recommended by Mary Kate.

And as a final thought, I want you to remember that even though you aren’t perfect, Jesus thinks you’re to die for. He has invited you to join Him in the most epic happily-ever-after imaginable! ❤️

What true-life romance stories have you read? Share them with us!

–Liz