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People are sharing their unexpected romantic moments.

Heartbreak can turn people off of the idea of romance, but even the most cynical among us can't help but smile at a genuine love story. And as it turns out, the most romantic moments often aren't the fancy, candlelight dinners or the view from the highest floor or the sunset walk on the beach. Often, the sweetest and most memorable moments aren't the ones you plan, but rather when something silly or accidental or unexpected happens.

That's why when someone asked, "What's an oddly romantic thing that's happened to you on a date?" people's responses had people swooning.

The initial response to the question read, "Was on a date with a guy and we kissed and his watch started beep[ing] really loud and we looked down and it said 'abnormal heart rate detected' lol." That story prompted people to start sharing their own unique romantic moments.

Pulse goes up. Pulse goes down.

"Was dating my now-wife and she had some medical issue that took her to the ER. She’s hooked up to the monitor and I’m sitting at the side of the bed facing all the machines. I notice that when I hold her hand her pulse goes up and when I let go it goes down.

This leads me to laugh a bit and, when she asks, explain how 'Pulse goes up, Pulse goes down!' by holding her hand. She blushes adorably and I kiss her and it’s all cute. It became a cute little thing I tease her about.

Years later and the situation is reversed—I’m in the ER and she’s come in to visit me. I’m sitting in bed talking to her when she suddenly gets sad and pouty.

romantic stories, pulse, heartrate, love stories, love"Pulse goes pp, Pulse goes sown."Photo credit: Canva

I ask what’s wrong and she says how she was watching the monitor and testing “Pulse goes up!” but my pulse goes down when she holds my hand.

I say 'Of course it does. I’m always on, always active. My mind is constantly racing - Never off. The only time I feel safe and comfortable enough that my entire mind and body can actually slow down is when I’m with you.' She teared up."

We’re married and we still tease each other about “Pulse Goes Up, Pulse Goes Down!”

Oops, I forgot my sleeping bag…

"First 'date' was a weekend hiking/camping trip. We had been friends for a very long time, but we had both been in other relationships most of the time until that point, and we clearly had the hots for each other (I say this because I don't recommend people to go on a first date as a camping trip if you don't know the person well lmao).

romantic dates, hiking, camping, first date, couplesImagine a forgotten sleeping bag bringing you together.Photo credit: Canva

The first night it stormed terribly, and I legitimately had completely forgotten my sleeping bag like a moron and was freezing. She shared her sleeping bag with me and we cuddled for warmth.

We've been married for six—seven years now. Looking back, I always tell people I was playing 4D chess when in reality I was just a f__ing idiot who didn't bring his sleeping bag on a camping trip lmao. She knows the dark truth and still married me. She's a keeper."

"Have beautiful babies."

"The first time my husband and I went on a walk together, it was the DAY we met so we definitely weren’t dating yet but we were definitely vibing with each other and flirting. This homeless guy stopped us while we’re walking and asked for money. We give him some cash, and as he’s leaving he shouts 'I HOPE YALL HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL BABIES!' 😭😭 It was awkward for the rest of the walk lmaooo, but we did in fact have some beautiful babies, and more to come lol."

aww, gif, couples, dates, love storiesTv Land Awww GIF by Throwing ShadeGiphy

Tiny footprints

"The first time I ever picked up my wife in my car she drew little feet using the palm of her hands on my passenger window. For the next few weeks during winter whenever I started my car the frost would melt slowly revealing the tiny footprints hidden beneath. Simply reminded me of her every time and it put a big dumb grin on my face."

Bloody kisses

"Lol reminds me of when my husband and I were dating long distance. I went to visit him one day after a few months apart, we kissed in greeting then he reeled back in horror because I had blood all over my face. Turns out HE had gotten a nosebleed like a damn anime character. ❤️"

kiss, long distance, love, couples, cute, nosebleedsAnime nosebleed Giphy

Spontaneous snack bar stop

"We were walking through downtown, talking and having a blast when he suddenly disappeared. After a couple of minutes he reappeared and it turns out he rushed into a snack bar. The day before I had been talking about how my favourite candy bar was being stocked less and less in the Netherlands and he saw some in the glass display and rushed in to buy me one. I almost swooned."

A simple touch

"First date, we went to dinner + a movie on Valentine's Day. I left my lights on, so I had to call CAA to get a jump. It was -20 so we had to snuggle up tight to preserve bodily warmth. When we parted, she reached out and touched my face, and I just about died.. I always felt I was very ugly, and to have her accept my face just broke my heart (in a good way.)

Married now, and I look back on my bonehead maneuver on that first date as having been essential. She needed to know what she was getting into..."

romantic moments, odd love stories, romcom, sweet love stories"All to yourselves, just as your requested…"Photo credit: Canva

"Per your request, sir"

"On the first date with my wife we went to see a movie together and have dinner. The theater was empty, the kid walking through before the show started, looked right at me and said 'All to yourselves, just as you requested' and gave me a wink.

We both laughed after he left."

All-in on the cheesy romcom moments—but not really

"First date I ever had with my now husband. We went ice skating at PPG place around the Christmas tree and then took the incline up to look at the skyline. I’m from the Pittsburgh area and he is from Southern WV. He came up early from Thanksgiving break when we were in undergrad and grad school respectively at WVU. He was all in on the cheesy rom-com moments and made me feel like a Princess.

Turns out not only does he hate ice skating, he is afraid of heights, and also a die hard Cincinnati Bengals fan who didn’t even flip off Heinz field once. This man did a slew of things he hated and never complained or whined because he could tell I was having so much fun. I am incredibly lucky to have him and I’ve never made him ice skate again."

Here's to those surprising romantic moments that form some of our sweetest memories with our loved ones.

May we all have a better half like this.

Supporting a partner with anxiety involves understanding, validation, encouragement, and sometimes…building them their own special timeout spot where they can actually relax.

That was certainly the case for one man who wanted to help his fiancée feel a bit better while dealing with the final week of wedding planning. (Let’s be honest, weddings are stressful for just about any bride, but for those of us with anxiety, it can be a mental health nightmare.)

In a TikTok that's since reached almost 1 million views, we see Ryan Erkins give said bride, Debra Reisinger, the rundown on her gift—an "anxiety chair” inspired by Inside Out 2.

anxiety, anxiety tips, anxiety chair, husbands, green flags, red flags, marriage, partner with anxiety, support someone with anxietymedia4.giphy.com

As any Disneyphile would know, this Pixar sequel featured Anxiety as a new character, and at one pivotal part of the movie, the other emotions have to calm her panic attack by sitting her down in a chair with a cup of soothing tea.

Using an Inside Out poster as a reference, Erkins tells Reisinger, “Whenever you start to feel here, it's becoming too much.”

“I need you to come sit in here, light the candle with a drink, it’s your favorite color rose, and just relax for like 10 minutes…You aren’t allowed to leave until the timer’s up,” he continues, using the right amount of bossiness that’s honestly so needed during a time of chaos. Even when Reisinger asks, “Can I have my phone?” Erkins firmly says, “Nope, cause all you’re gonna do on your phone is look at stuff. You can turn the TV on.”

@debrareisinger He reminds me often why he’s my better half. Entering our final week of wedding planning, he pulls this out. ❤️🥲 @Coach Ryan Erkins #anxiety #insideout #fiance #weddingplanning #ringcamera #cincinnati #bestpartnerever ♬ original sound - Debra Leann


Seriously, the Disneyness, the wholehearted support, the sass—what’s not to love about this?

Down in the comments, people agreed this "polite timeout” was peak "green flag behaviour," especially by those who also deal with anxiety.

“To be loved, is to been seen.”

“As a woman with panic attack, this is the SWEETEST gesture 🥺.”

“Respectfully, also in love with your husband now.”

"Caring and a lil bossy ⭐⭐⭐⭐"

“Set a timer for 8 minutes. He said imma regular you if you can’t do it yourself love this!!!"

Many also noted the similarities of this approach to gentle parenting, which still provides firm boundaries while ultimately prioritizing compassion. Basically, it works for adults too.

“I’m all for gentle marriage," one viewer quipped.

Of course, everyone is ultimately responsible for their own emotional regulation, but having a partner, a friend, or a family member to help us through the more challenging times can really make all the difference. Sounds like Erkins easily understands this concept.

By the way, it looks like all that wedding stress didn’t mar the big day:

Here’s to a life full of love, laughter, and timeouts in the anxiety chair for these two.

Pop Culture

People agree these 19 things are weirdly romanticized, but are actually huge red flags

"The idea of someone cheating on their spouse to pursue you. How is that romantic? Please be serious."

One person's romantic is another person's cringe.

We all love a good love story. The grand gestures, the unbridled spontaneity, and those "against all odds” moments that give relationships a dose of movie magic are everything. But, sometimes, the things we’ve been taught to swoon over—whether that be due to pop culture or more overarching societal trends—are actually pretty toxic when you stop to think about them.

Recently, someone asked folks to share their own examples of behaviors that are “weirdly romanticized” but are actually major red flags once you look past the glossy surface, and honestly, it’s eye-opening.

Here are some of the most surprising (and perhaps unsettling) examples they shared. One major category belonged to those tropes we see in many, many television shows, movies, and even songs…

1. "Having someone who is completely obsessed with you."

dating, modern dating, dating apps, romance, romance tips, relationships, relationship red flags, relationship green flagsmedia1.giphy.com

2. "Enemies to lovers. It's cute in theory, but how can you be with someone when you know all the disgusting things they've said about you before your relationship?"

3. "I used to love the 'asshole-to-everyone-except-you' trope until he started being an asshole to my friends. Some tropes are meant to stay fictional."

4. "The 'I'm just a girl' trend and other TikTok trends that are used to deflect any accountability or responsibility as an adult human being."

dating, modern dating, dating apps, romance, romance tips, relationships, relationship red flags, relationship green flagsmedia4.giphy.com

5. "The idea of someone cheating on their spouse to pursue you. How is that romantic? Please be serious."

6. "Pressuring someone to hurry up and put a ring on it."

Two people brought differing, yet equally important views on work/love life balance.

7. "Sacrificing your professional or personal life to pursue someone."

8. "Honestly, I think we conflate hard work with unhealthy boundaries between the self and career, and we romanticize working overtime, long shifts, and doing excessive tasks as a display of personal growth. We've manipulated ourselves into feeling that giving our time to pursue our work is noble. I'm saying this as a student in medicine, where hours are absolutely wild. I know I'll work my hardest, but I won't sacrifice my sense of self and my time to eke out my own passions and life just to get ahead in my career track. At least, I hope I don't lose sight of myself in the pursuit of following my dreams. It can be really hard not to notice that that's where you're headed until you've already sacrificed so much."

How folks handle—or don’t handle—conflict also was a major red flag.

9. "Not being confrontational. Needless confrontation is bad, but sometimes, you do need to confront someone."

10. "Fighting all the time. No, it doesn't mean that your relationship is 'passionate.' It means that you're probably incompatible and shouldn't be together."

dating, modern dating, dating apps, romance, romance tips, relationships, relationship red flags, relationship green flagsmedia.giphy.com

Finally, this category belongs to things that many people think often carry a hidden warning, even if they seem workable, even harmless, at first.

11. "I knew a girl whose boyfriend went everywhere with her. He wouldn't let her go anywhere if he weren't there, and she thought it was cute how 'possessive' he was over her. It thoroughly icked me out when she told me. Like, that is not healthy at all."

12. "Being a 'free spirit.' Like, there's a gray area, but there's a time and place to be inhibited and misbehave. Not following rules in public settings because you're 'free' gets old really fast."

13. "Being the charismatic 'heavy drinker' in friend groups. Goes for men and women."

14. "When people say things like, 'He's just broken,' as if it's something romantic. Having pain doesn't justify cruelty, and loving someone shouldn't mean bleeding just to make them feel whole."

15. "People who brag about not being interested in reading or learning. Here in the US, there is a huge anti-curiosity or anti-intellect movement, and people will literally brag about being ignorant."

16. "Being over controlling. My coworker thinks it's adorable when they say stuff like, 'My husband would kill me if I got a tattoo there!' Gross. Sorry that your husband is so fragile."

17. "People who constantly post about their partner. It's not romantic, it's performative. Real love doesn't need a PR campaign."

18. "'Traditional values.'"

dating, modern dating, dating apps, romance, romance tips, relationships, relationship red flags, relationship green flagsmedia3.giphy.com

Lastly, perhaps the oldest red flag in the book…

19. "The idea that playing games or being 'hard to get' in a cruel way will make their crush or interest want them more."

Note the one gesture that no one mentioned as un-romantic: flowers. Just sayin'.

Canva Photos

A viral TikTok argues that women don't want to give up the joy of their own personal peace and freedom for anyone.

There's been a lot of discourse on the state of modern dating and a lot of theories on why it seems harder than ever for people to find connection with romantic partners. Could it be that the achievement and education gaps between men and women are altering the dynamics? Have social media and dating apps broken our brains and hearts? Do we all have unrealistic expectations and unlimited options, leading to never feeling satisfied with anything or anyone?

Those are all intriguing options, but an alternate theory has recently arisen that's quickly gaining steam: Maybe being single isn't as lonely as we think. Maybe being single is actually freaking awesome.

A guy on TikTok who goes by Get To the Point Bro shared a hilarious monologue on why women who have been single for a long time "don't want to date anymore." Women say he absolutely nailed it.

the office, andy bernard, dating, relationships, dating advice, single, romance, loveThe Frenchman's monologue was absolutely spot onGiphy

At first, it might seem like he's poking fun, either at single women or at the men who can't seem to win them over. But not so! What he's done is perfectly captured the joy many people find in being single and, frankly, able to do whatever the hell they want.

"Some women have been single for so long they don't date anymore, they grant you access to their peaceful little empire like a reluctant queen handing you a visitor's badge," he says. "You text her good morning and she's already annoyed, like 'Why are you disturbing the sacred silence of my personal growth journey?'"

He goes on, "Bro she's been sleeping diagonally in her bed for three years, she's not giving up that territory because you opened the door and paid for coffee."

"You plan a cute date, she's thinking 'That sounds nice but also I could stay home, deep clean my apartment, do a 12 steps skincare routine, order sushi and not have to listen to a man breathe.'"

"You try to check in emotionally, 'How are you feeling?' She's feeling fantastic because you're not here."

"You're not competing with other guys. There are no other guys. You're competing with her weighted blanket, her peace, her cat named Chairman Meow, and the simple joy of not having to share her fries."

These are just a few of the best lines from the nearly 2-minute rant, all delivered in the most amazing French accent you can imagine. Please, enjoy:


@gettothepointbro

DATING A GIRL WHO IS USED TO BE ALONE CAN BE VERY HARD .

The best thing about the video is the discussion in the comments. Women want to know how this man got access to this top-secret information. The rant is so eerily, frighteningly accurate that women are convinced this French guy is living in their heads. That, or someone's secretly leaking intel.

"dammit. somebody call a meeting of the council. he knows too much."

"I dont often offer this compliment to the male species but you explained it better than I ever could."

"Alright, who’s told him this info??? So exposed right now"

"The joy of sleeping diagonally across my bed cannot be fully explained."

"This is the most accurate profiling I’ve ever heard. You absolutely ailed it."

Clearly, we've tapped into a real phenomenon here.

@gettothepointbro

CAN YOU RELATE LADIES ? THAT’S WHY WE LOVE YOU ❤️

The truth is that many people—both men and women—are disillusioned with the sad state of the dating scene these days. App burnout is a real thing, and meeting new people in real life is a ton of work. So, it's no surprise that more and more people are just choosing to stay single and enjoy all the perks that come along with it. This is a stark change, especially for women.

According to FiveThirtyEight, "Women were also more likely than men to say that they weren’t dating because they have other priorities right now." Priorities like travel, career, friendship, and even just self-care—all things that wind up taking a backseat when people get involved in relationships. It wasn't too long ago that women of a certain age that were still single were called "spinsters," but that word has lost a significant amount of power. This new generation of women aren't embarrassed or ashamed to be single; they're loving it for exactly all the reasons this video describes.