by Johanna Osborne

T’is the season, the time of year to get sentimental and thankful. Today we would like to share with you a few of this year’s favourite special images and touching moments of true love and devotion (as documented by Popsugar) as we get ready to raise our glasses and toast to a new and wonderful 2014! The below brings perspective; there is always someone whose struggle is worse than yours, someone who prays for the things you have, and someone who can teach us to appreciate our blessings. Most of all, the lesson here is that with love in your heart you truly can conquer all.

The first is a moving story of a wife who relearns the alphabet with the help of her devoted husband. “Patience, love, and understanding at its finest” is how the photographer describes this image of a husband teaching his beloved wife, who suffers from memory loss. This couple embodies the true meaning of “for better or worse.” Something we can all learn from.

This widow continues to have lunch every day with her husband at her local Steak ‘n Shake, by propping his photo up on the table while she eats. Gone but never forgotten. That is old fashioned devotion if ever we saw it and we love it!

Together for 54 years and married for five, John Darby and Jack Bird celebrated over half a century of being a couple. After they got together in 1959, they kept their relationship a secret due to fear of their society’s reaction. Today, Darby and Bird walk proudly holding hands, they share kisses and sweet words like many other married couples.

Frank and Eleanor Turner, a married couple of almost 65 years, died six hours apart on the same day without knowing of the other’s passing. Their hearts were truly linked and their souls no doubt again reunited.

Angelo Merendino created something amazing for his wife, Jennifer, through incredible photos taken before her death from breast cancer in 2011. He published them in an eBook this year in a most loving tribute. This particular one captures the touching moment when Angelo shaved his wife’s head. We can only imagine what this painful journey would have been like and applaud this brave and amazing man for what he did for his beautiful wife.

Love exists the world over – in different shapes and forms, and if are lucky enough to have found true love then you are one of the fortunate few that has a lot to be thankful for this New Year’s Eve!

As a recent article released by various news outlets states, people have many similar regrets when they lay on their deathbed – they wish they had been happier, enjoyed themselves more, done more for others, hadn’t taken themselves so seriously, hadn’t worked so hard. They wish they had spent more time with family and loved ones, hadn’t taken things for granted, hadn’t worried so much, had taken better care of themselves, had travelled more, had lived in the moment more often. They wish they had followed their passion in life, been braver and stood up for themselves more and most of all, they wish they had showed their loved ones just how much they meant to them. It’s impossible not to have regrets in life, but perhaps some of these are food for thought as we go forward with new goals and aspirations for 2014.

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions, we wish you all the very best with keeping them and can’t wait to share more romantic moments with you in 2014. Long live LOVE! The Wellington Wedding Show will be back, bigger, brighter and better than ever.