“It was a cold, rainy November night when my husband proposed in front of the South Carolina Statehouse Christmas tree.
There were supposed to be singers and a tree lighting, but the events were cancelled. It was dark and foggy, and no one was there.
Well, no one but me, my now-husband, and Albert. The minute I said YES and my husband jumped up to hug me, we heard him.
Maybe a hundred yards away, we heard the yell of a homeless man in a wheelchair shouting, ‘I love love!’
He crossed Gervais street, all the while yelling, ‘Oh man, I saw the whole thing! I love love!’
When he approached us, he had the biggest smile on his face. He told us his story, my husband handed him some money, and he went on his way.
Albert was the first person to congratulate us on our engagement. Not parents, not friends. Albert. It was a special moment we will never forget.
A month later, we decided to honor him by taking a box full of things needed for the holidays to the local shelter. This became known as the Albert box.
Over the years and moves, the box has seen better days, but we always pull it out at Christmas, remembering our engagement story and making donations in honor of Albert.
This year, our daughter asked to make her very own ‘love’ bags in honor of the man who ‘loved love.’ My heart melted.
Today, we picked up some socks, Chapstick, and a few other needed items, and made the bags which we will hand out around our town.
And Albert can continue to love love.
We hope you do too.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Alison Wright. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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