When you're a parent, romance tends to find itself on the very bottom of duties and to-do lists.
So when responsibilities permit, films are one of the best ways to retreat from the stresses of everyday life, none more so than romantic movies like The Notebook.
It's just one of those classics that made us feel all kinds of things, and a perfect choice to stoke those love flames on date night.
Based on the eponymous Nicholas Sparks romantic novel, the plot follows the love story of Allie and Noah, their enduring love triumphing through years of adversity, even the devastating impact of dementia.
Do you have an incredible love story you'd like to share? Send your tales of romance to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your story. Anonymous contributors are welcome.
As dreamy as the story may seem, it was based on real life.
"The Notebook was inspired by my wife’s grandparents, two wonderful people who spent over 60 years together," the author notes via his website, explaining the origin of the storyline.
Stumbling across the story of British couple Rene and Ron Mula (featured in the video above), we couldn't help but spot the undeniable similarities.
The couple has been together for the past 57 years, meeting on the platform of a London train station in 1961, attending a party together the same day.
"So when we were at the party later on in the evening... two of my friends said to me, 'I bet you wouldn't go over and ask that chap to dance.' And I did it for a dare," revealed Rene. And the pair has stayed together ever since.
The two have spent the majority of their lives raising children and running a business.
- Also see: Date ideas for every kind of parent
But in 2008, Ron was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and due to its debilitating effects, Ron needed to move away from his wife and into a nursing home. And just like Noah in the Notebook, Rene visits her hubby every day.
“Having lived in the same house as someone for over half a century, it’s very strange suddenly to be living apart and I miss him very much... [but] I visit Ron every day,” Rene explained in an interview.
Being a regular visitor, the staff soon learned of the couple's special bond, and the sweet beginning of their romance.
As part of a special initiative run by Ron's residential care home, the couple were asked to participate in the reenactment of a scene from the 1945 film, Brief Encounter, mimicking the couple's very own meet-cute.
Rene notes that although the old love-at-first-sight adage may be a bit of a cliché, sometimes it really does ring true.
Do you have an incredible love story you'd like to share? Send your tales of romance to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your story. Anonymous contributors are welcome.
Read more:
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- WATCH: What research has to say about maintaining a happy marriage
- Dads, take notice! 10 things you should never say to the mother of your kids
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