365 dives
Last January, on a Cape Cod beach, I prepared for my daily cold-water plunge. “Can I join you?” asked a stranger. I doubted. But his red hair and wide smile reminded me of my younger self. “Sure,” I said. Ashley is 29 years old. I'm 47. For seven minutes in icy waters, we shared our stories: her chronic illness and her career change; my failed marriage and struggle to raise a child with cancer. Every day since our first meeting, we have gathered to dive into the ocean. We join in a daily baptism. Now I can't imagine braving water or life without it. — Amy McHugh
Yes it translates easily
On a dating app, when I first asked Ximena if she wanted to meet up, she responded, “Yes, we will.” Her response predicted the unwavering way she would show up in our relationship. She also indicated that English may not be her first language. Ximena is from Colombia. The only thing stronger than the coffee she makes is her emphatic “yes.” Hot yoga? A weekend in a yurt? Hike Half Dome? Sometimes I'm not sure about her English, but I'm sure about us, Ximena is always willing to play. When I proposed to her, Ximena not only said “Yes,” but “Of course” (Of course). – Kristin Pene
Saving my life twice
We met sitting on bar stools on a random Tuesday night. Two recently separated sad sacks drowning in alcohol and just looking for a casual fling. I like to say that Bob saved my life twice: first, by saying he wouldn't see me again if I didn't go to the doctor (who discovered I had cancer) and second, by suggesting I get help for alcoholism after a particularly embarrassing episode in that same bar. Twelve years later, healthy and sober, we have somehow transformed from lonely sad bags to life partners and best friends. Life is fun that way. — Jeannette Boot
She went straight for my cookies
For weeks, I debated which Christmas event I would attend with my sister. Finally I chose a choral concert in my town. Before the show, my sister walked into my house without knocking and headed straight for the can of homemade cookies she knew I kept in the dining room. She popped one in her mouth before saying, “Hello.” I thought I needed the good mood of the concert after the deaths, three weeks apart, of our 54-year-old sister and our 85-year-old mother. What I really needed was someone so close to me that my house was her house, and my cookies were her cookies. — Juana Bonner
