The Secret to True Romance

Recently, the “Modern Love” team asked you to share stories about the most romantic things that have ever happened to you. What struck us about your stories was how frequently romance was found in quiet, everyday actions: rubbing your loved one’s feet, paying the bill, changing a flat tire, eating dinner together on the porch. This week, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, we hear stories that remind us all how simple love can be. Then, we speak to the king and queen of Valentine's Day. For 30 years, Lonnie Anderson has made giant, over-the-top valentines for his wife, Anne Bolger Witherspoon, and has become a local legend in Albuquerque for doing so. The two tell us why Lonnie goes to the extraordinary lengths he does, and what it feels like for Anne to receive these extravagant, very public valentines. Find photos of Lonnie’s valentines here. How to submit a Modern Love essay to The New York Times How to submit a Tiny Love Story

You can listen to The Secret to True Romance online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Secret to True Romance is an episode from Modern Love by The New York Times.

This episode is 00:39:18 long.

This episode was published on Feb 11, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Modern Love when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.