NORFOLK, Va. — People may know it when they feel it, but there's no exact formula when it comes to love.
The residents at The Talbot on Granby, a senior living and retirement community in Norfolk, are a living testament to that.
“Literally she's the only girl I dated from that point on," Barry Einhorn told 13News Now Friday, recalling his first date with Lois Einhorn, whom he met at age 16. "And he's the only boy I dated from that point on," Louis replied, who've since been married since 1952.
The Einhorns, both graduates of Maury High School in Norfolk, consider their story to be one that was "love at first sight," still happily married at 91 years of age.
But nearby, the Einhorns are friends with another couple whose beginnings aren't as smooth.
"We wrote our story as 'hate at first sight,'” Laura Gilson said.
John and Laura Gilson met at the University of Minnesota, but say their marriage grew from beginnings not so smooth.
“This guy is very snarky," Laura said, jokingly placing her hand on John's arm. Their love grew from a math class they both attended in the spring of 1952.
But many at The Talbot are also like Theresa Bender, widow of late husband Fred Bender, who are forced to recall their love stories by themselves.
Theresa uses poetry to honor his life.
“Saturday morning he’d say, 'Where’s the list?' Very rarely did one not exist," Bender read from a poem she wrote Friday afternoon titled When He Did His And I Did Mine.
The pandemic has particularly hit vulnerable age groups hard, including nursing homes, long term care facilities, or retirement communities like The Talbot.
But this Valentine's Day, while different stories entirely, they all share one commonality: that love prevails over the pandemic, no matter which way you choose to share that love.
“Don’t know what I’d do without him, I thought about it several times," Laura Gilson said.
“Now since the pandemic, we’ve been together 24 hours a day every day," Barry Einhorn said.
“He was a wonderful man. The longer he’s gone the more I realize how wonderful he was," Bender said.