Going the Distance With Ease

Sliding into a stranger’s DMs wasn’t something James Miles had ever considered … until he spotted Meron Haile on a friend’s Instagram in December 2016. He then asked the mutual friend, Leah Ojesina, to vouch for him, which she did, telling Ms. Haile she thought they would be great together, or at least good friends,…

Overcoming Disability and Finding Love

As a child, Kevin Brousard loved the surf vibe of his hometown San Clemente, Calif., where his family lived for several generations. Born with a genetic disability that left him partially sighted but legally blind, he spent many idyllic days bodysurfing, though that didn’t cancel out the relentless bullying and teasing he received from schoolmates.…

A Love Story Sealed by Seals

A friendship lasting a decade, a first kiss in the ocean, and a post-wedding photo shoot attended by a pod of seals. Chelsea Bruck and Cyril Bennouna’s love story reads much like a fairy-tale romance, with a modern twist. The couple first met as teenagers at New Rochelle High School in New Rochelle, N.Y., when…

A Bug’s Second Life

RALEIGH, N.C. — Sometimes inspiration flies up and smacks you in the face. That’s what happened to the jewelry maker Susan Reynolds. “One day I was walking my dog and this cicada flew around and hit me in the head, then it fell to my feet,” Ms. Reynolds said. Once they emerge, cicadas have only…

Falling in Love While Navigating Grief

During their first date, at a gallery in Manhattan in November 2019, Caitlin Wynne Fitzmaurice and Richard Lathen Thompson broached the topic of grief. They had matched on the dating app Hinge a week earlier and at the gallery, Ms. Fitzmaurice mentioned that she was from California. When Mr. Thompson asked if she went back…