Love can be hard to find, especially when it’s raining outside and your Tinder match has sent you a nasty picture. But don’t lose hope, because real love is better than any movie. It is patient, kind, and will wait for as long as it takes—even six decades, just like in the amazing story of Thomas and Nancy.

True love is kind and patient – it will wait for decades for a chance to blossom

All love stories start with a chance encounter. Dr. Thomas McMeekin and Nancy Gambell first met years ago in high school in Quincy, California. Their young love blossomed and grew, but as they graduated, their paths split as they chased their dreams in colleges far away from each other. They lost touch, met other people, and started their own families.

It seemed like the end, and it sure felt like one, but fate had a different plan. Their love story was meant to be—they just didn’t know it yet.

It took more than half a century for their paths to cross again, and it happened at their high school reunion. There, they reignited the spark that had burned in their hearts for decades. It’s the fact that they have never forgotten each other. They were no longer teenagers, but the feelings were as intense, if not more.

As their sixtieth high school reunion was coming up, Nancy took the initiative and reached out to Thomas with a sweet message: ‘I’m really looking forward to seeing you again.’’ We can only guess the butterflies he felt after reading the message.

Thomas and Nancy had a crush on each other back in high school, but after graduation, they parted ways