Love in Lansing: 'Love Conquers All' here is your winner and stories of bridging divides

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” ― Maya Angelou

This year's Love in Lansing contest theme? "Love Conquers All." We asked for celebratory love stories that show bridging divides and overcoming challenges – whether they be cultural, ethnic, health-related, racial or ideological – and our readers delivered!

The voting was very, very close.

All of the entries were heartwarming and reflect the loving, sharing spirit of the Greater Lansing area. Yes, we have our differences; yes, opposites do attract; and yes, love does indeed conquer whatever obstacles life may throw at us.

First Place: Religious differences

Mary and Dusty: Before meeting, we had already ruled each other out as love interests. Dusty had avoided all religious women as potential dates. Mary, for her part, had just one requirement: spiritual men only. That all changed at camp. We each had kids attending a Lansing elementary school. When the annual camp trip needed chaperones, we volunteered. In the camp dining hall one afternoon, Dusty reached out his hand with a wide grin, “Howdy! I don’t believe we’ve met!” We fell into easy, animated conversation over lunch and, in spite of ourselves, love conquered our differences within a matter of months.

Second Place: Breaking cultural barriers

Kyle and Andrea: We met online eight years ago. I was living in Singapore and he was from a small town called Williamston. Ten months after our first chat, he flew to Singapore to meet me, and seven months after, I left everything behind and moved to Michigan to marry him. The cultural and lifestyle adjustments felt too much for me at the beginning. I had to learn how to drive at the ripe age of 31! But besides adapting to a new environment, our new in-person relationship was a different level of complicated. We had to place greater effort in communicating better to get past the language barrier. We worked on give and take to prioritize the other person's needs and wants even if it meant giving up our own needs and wants. It wasn't easy and it didn't happen in a day — or even a year — but we definitely learned that love is a choice and we gotta keep choosing the same person over and over.

Third Place: Love has healing power

Susannah and Jon: Prior to moving to Lansing, my husband and I lived half of our marriage below the poverty line due to grad school and living in Greece for his studies, but in 2006 we took jobs at Michigan State University and were ready to start a family. However, three months after moving to Michigan, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and, upon completing six months of chemo and radiation, was told he couldn’t have kids. So imagine our surprise with the birth of our twins two years after his treatment! This past September, we happily celebrated our 20th anniversary with our ten-year-old sons!

Winners receive the following prizes

First place: Four tickets, lounge passes and admission to the cast party for the Feb. 26 opening night of My Fair Lady at Wharton Center for Performing Arts (on campus at MSU).

Second place: A $200 gift card to Sweet Custom Jewelry, specializing in making individual pieces by hand and sharing unique creations that reflect Greater Lansing, located in Old Town Lansing.

Third place: A $100 gift certificate to EnVie for the perfect Valentine's Day date, complemented by drink and dinner specials you will love, at a bistro right in the heart of downtown Lansing.

More stories of 'Love Conquers All'

Making progress together: I envision my wife and I as architects striving to construct a reality that keeps out unjust laws. We started laying the blueprints seven years ago in our Intercultural Communication class. She brought me coffee and I made her laugh. Tears and frustration often trailed our dialogues regarding white supremacy and sexism. In theory, like many, we believed that we had overcome the injustices of the past by mistakenly believing that an interracial relationship reflected progress. In practice we found that the truest expression of our love came after exchanging our life’s blueprints for peer review. We are still together. — Prince and Natalie Solace

Knowing hearts: When I first met my husband, I was taken by his quick humor, his ability to say what I was thinking, and his comfort level with “an assertive woman.” We hit it off right away, despite our differences: He is a cop and I was a small business owner; he wore Kevlar and carried a gun for a living, I spent my days with clients, business leaders and politicians. I fell for him, hook line and sinker, because he was funny and clever. He wasn’t impressed with what I do; he loves and respects me for who I am. The fact that he is a Republican and I am a Democrat matters little in our relationship, although there are topics we avoid. We are both old enough to recognize and respect each other’s opinions and — what is of primary importance — we know each other’s hearts.  And a true sign of love? He hangs out with and votes for more Democrats than he ever thought possible! — Dave and Kelly

Lifeguard of soul: The first time I saw this fair lady working with her father, the glow of sweat and grin of accomplishment was alluring. Years later, again helping her dad, the grin was gone, the eyes were sad, struggling to stay afloat in a turbulent sea. The lifeguard in me helped this soul to safety! A few months older than her, 242 to be exact, she allowed me to help her to the shores of stability. With love and support, the grin returned, and laughter ensued in the months that followed. Her life was back on solid ground — my strong lady! — J.C. and Tiffani

Jayne Higo is a news assistant at the Lansing State Journal. Contact her at dhigo@lsj.com or 517.377.1112.