Perhaps Beyonce put it best when she said, “Got me lookin’ so crazy right now, your love’s got me lookin’ so crazy right now.” Love makes us do crazy, sometimes unrecognizable things. But while it does bring out the cuckoo in us, it also brings out our sweetest, most selfless sides too. In honor of Valentine’s Day, take a peek at four acts of love that are a lot bit sweet and four that are a little bit crazy. Happy V-Day to you and your special someone.
Sweet
1. Rachel’s Birthday Video: When Australian husband and father Kristian Anderson was diagnosed with cancer, his wife was forced to go into overdrive to support her sick husband and two sons. To show his gratitude, Kristian made her a YouTube video featuring Hugh Jackman for her birthday. (See it here.) The beautiful, emotional video caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey, who gave the family $250,000 to help them through this tough time.
2. Will You Marry Me (Even Though We’ve Never Met)? Believe it or not, Valerie Clark, a woman from Atlanta, Georgia who agreed to marry a man she’d never, ever met. She found her now-husband on Match.com and was “struck by his photo.” After a few phone calls and e-mails, they both knew they’d found “the one.” She hopped on a plane to Micronesia where they met and married just hours later. They’re now living happily ever after.
3. From Manhattan to the Manger: Kristen Kimball was a die-hard New Yorker, a travel writer with a passion for city life. A story on sustainable farming took her to a farm in Pennsylvania. Within moments of arriving, she fell in love not only with farming, but also with the farmer himself. Two kids and a drastic move later, Kristen is officially a happily in-love farmer. Her unlikely story is documented in her memoir, The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love.
4. NYGirlOfMyDreams.Com: A few years ago, Patrick Moberg was riding the subway in New York when he saw the girl of his dreams. Just as he’d worked up enough courage to approach her, she stepped off the train. He then launched the website NYGirlofMyDreams.com and started a citywide search for his dream girl. A friend of the woman saw the site and told her about it. They finally met on Good Morning America and ended up dating. Who says there’s no such thing as love at first sight?
Sweet?
1. Tom Cruise on Oprah: We all remember the couch incident. (If you were living on Mars and somehow missed Tom’s famous sofa jump, watch it here.) While it’s great to celebrate a new romance, Tom’s overly-enthusiastic antics made us wonder if a screw had come loose. At the time the world was convinced it was a publicity stunt, but six years and one Suri later, Tom and Katie proved us wrong.
2. Angelina Sportin’ Billy Bob’s Blood: Pre-Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie was known for her eccentricity. One of her most famous out-there acts was wearing a bit of her then-husband Billy Bob Thornton‘s blood around her neck. Years later Angelina told the HuffingtonPost, “It was kind of a sweet gesture. I thought it was kind of romantic!” Romantic? Perhaps. Sweet? Not so sure about that. Weird? Yes, most definitely.
3. The Taj Mahal: The Taj Mahal is arguably the most extravagant and passionate act of love that history has ever witnessed. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built it as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Legend says that upon completion, Shah Jahan cut off the worker’s hands so they couldn’t re-create anything that beautiful again. At least this is one over-the-top act of love the whole world can and will appreciate for generations and generations.
4. Seal’s Eskimo-style Proposal to Heidi Klum: If you’re thinking about proposing on Valentine’s Day, take some inspiration from the singer and the supermodel. He specially constructed an igloo in the Canadian Rockies and adorned it with food, candles, a bed, champagne, roses and a pillow that held the ring. He took Heidi to her ice paradise by helicopter where they were then left alone for a romantic evening.
Photo 1 by Rainer via Flickr, photo 2 by Diomede via Wikimedia Commons, photo 2 by Dhirad via Wikimedia Commons.