A Wilson County couple proves love can be found at any age.
By BECKY ANDREWS
For Connie Hooberry and Charles Runion, falling in love was easy to do. But finding each other was not as simple. It was nearly three years ago when Connie’s divorce from her first husband was final, that her 3 adult daughters gave her the encouragement she needed to ‘get back out there.’ She took their advice in stride, but really had no intention of starting a new relationship. To humor her youngest daughter, Tana, she signed up with an online dating service. A few days after signing up she was checking through possible matches when one caught her eye.
That man was Charles Runion. And when he and Connie began chatting on the phone they discovered they had more than just an online profile in common. “We knew some of the same people and when we started talking about where we grew up I was shocked to find out we grew up a ½ mile away from each other. We even attended the same kindergarten and elementary school. We were even going to the same church, just different services. It was just amazing.” Connie says her brown eyes sparkling.
In the early stages of their courtship, the pair wasn’t looking for anything too serious. But soon their chemistry was undeniable. Two months after that first phone call, Charles had a business trip planned to leave the country. It was before that trip the couple realized their relationship was about to become more than just phone calls and dinner dates. “Even before he left I started missing him and it scared me a little. But then Charles told me he felt the same way I was like ‘Whew!’ you know, because no one likes to feel vulnerable, and sometimes when you are a certain age, you feel like that part of your life is over.” Charles then reaches for his betrothed hand and adds, “But that part of our life is far from over.”
Years ago when someone decided to take a second walk down the aisle, the ceremony was often done in a hush, hush manner with very little fanfare. That’s not the case anymore. Non-traditional ceremonies are among the most popular these days because couples who have been scarred in any way from a previous relationship are more than happy to profess their love.
Finding love for the second time is not something the couple is taking for granted. And both chime in when asked what advice they would give to young couples planning to walk down the aisle. “Don’t believe what anyone tells you about what to expect about marriage, or about being a husband or a wife. Be your own true self, and allow your spouse to do the same. Then love each other’s true self, not your image of each other.”
The Hooberry/Runion wedding is set to take place on August 28, 2010. They have reserved Blackhaven Wedding Gardens for the locale of their nuptials. After an as yet undetermined honeymoon destination, the couple will reside in Lebanon.
Becky Andrews can be contacted at becky@www.wilsonlivingmagazine.com.