Amre Klimchak, the writer of this week’s Modern Love essay, had all but given up on finding a life partner. Then, while grappling with the death of her father, a drawn-out breakup and the realization that her career had come to a standstill, she met a man 13 years her junior whose interest would prove to be both genuine and long-lasting.
Randy Nuñez and Sasha Nuñez-Carvalho were 4,000 miles apart on their wedding day. The couple, both of whom are in the Navy, had postponed their wedding twice before enlisting the help of Chris and April Coen, the owners of a wedding planning company in Montana that specializes in double proxy marriages. On Oct. 20, while Ms. Nuñez-Carvalho was deployed in Europe and Mr. Nuñez was quarantined with the coronavirus in San Diego, the Coens stood in their place and signed their marriage license from Montana.
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And though this year has had its fair share of disappointments and disasters, many have learned to appreciate the small moments of joy that surfaced during quarantine. We asked readers to name one good thing that happened this year. One woman shared: “After 47 years of marriage, I learned to appreciate my husband.” Here is a selection of other silver linings from 2020.
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