From Strangers to Soulmates: Real Stories of Love & Friendship
Like many others, I often find myself wondering about love. What does it look like? Where does it come from? Love can take form in so many ways. And what better way to understand this than to go out and ask people about their experiences.
Aby (20) & Lolo (21):
When I think of love I think of my family, of course. But I often stray towards my friendships. I met Lolo in Kindergarten. She was always so put together and ready to tackle whatever was ahead of her; back then, the recess kickball game. As we grew older, we slowly formed a longstanding friendship. One filled with the love of dance. We were always on the same team, in the same dances, even a trio at one point. The choreographers just knew to put us next to each other in the front row. We cheered each other on during our high school dance team days, where we competed against each other. Always staying in close contact. Now, we’re pursuing our own dreams in different states, but that bond is still there. Our love for dance will always be there, but it’s our love for each other that keeps us together.
Sophie (30) & Brendan (28):
Now let’s circle back to October 2021. People were in the initial stages of socialization again. Brendan had just moved to the city where he landed in an apartment above a South Minneapolis restaurant favorite, Nighthawks. This is where he met Sophie, his server. Months pass and Brendan begins as a line cook at the restaurant. Sophie, still a server. The classic front and back of house romance we know so well in the industry. What I love about this story is that while Brendan and Sophie had a spark at the beginning, they took some time apart. It wasn’t until about two years later of no contact where they both ended up working at Cardamom, the restaurant in the Walker Art Center.
“Be friends first,” Sophie said. And Brendan, shaking his head in firm agreement.
The couple currently lives in Minneapolis together with their two cats and dog. In those two years of growing both Brendan and Sophie were able to take time to figure out what they wanted, just to end up back together in a more secure relationship. A relationship built on a strong foundation. They have come to trust and forgive each other, continuing to prosper as their own individuals. These two are the working ‘parents’ of the service industry: showing how full-circle love can really be.
Amy (57) & Jon (53):
“We do everything together,” Amy says as she smiles at Jon.
Amy and Jon met during their time in the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa back in 1994. It was Christmas break for the two teachers, and while their sites were about 16 hours apart, this didn’t stop the blossoming of a decade-long commitment.
The two met during this break when Jon, who had been diagnosed with Scurvy, excitedly told his friend about his newly arrived medicine. Jon had made an impression on Amy, who was a witness to the excitement. The pair had mutual friends, which kept them in contact. Over time, their friendship turned into something more. But this wasn’t easy. Once the pair returned back to their sites they attempted to keep in contact by audio messaging on small tapes, as well as letters to decide upon meetups. Even though some of the letters never made it, the two have been together ever since.
The two now have three beautiful children, and were able to look back at some of their accomplishments during our conversation. Amy described their time at the Peace Corps as a pivotal moment in shaping their family; where they wanted to both have and adopt a child, which they accomplished in their almost 27 years together.
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Now, these stories are just a selected amount of ways in which love can present itself. It’s important to take time and recognize the different ways in which one can receive love, as well as give it. It may show in more ways than one might think, we just have to be open to it!
Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!