Some of the best love stories come in small packages.

That's why we asked you, our listeners, to send us voicemails of your own love stories.

We'll be running a few of them before season four starts.

They're short and sweet.

And all of them, even the ones that didn't make it to

air because we got so many reminded us about the many ways that we can commit to one another.

So here are three mini love stories to tide you over until we launched season four in April.

We've got a dirty dog that led to love on a camping trip, a couple that learned to meet in the middle over the course of two decades,

and a middle school relationship that persevered against all odds.

Enjoy.

Enjoy. The summer of 1983, family camping at Acadia National Park in Maine with a shy college friend and a dog, drummer, a sleek Cocker Spaniel.

I was nursing a bruised ego after having been dumped by a sailor I'd been dating, and I wasn't feeling very fond of men in general, and specifically sailors. After supper in Bar Harbor, my friend

held my dog while I ordered an ice cream cone, then she went in for hers while drummer and I

people watched on the busy main street. Two rather attractive young men were heading my way.

Buh. I suspected they were from the way they walked that they were calling the large needle ship moored in the harbor home.

I turned away from them and stopped to offer a lick of my cone to my dog.

When I stood, I found the men stopped before me.

The tall one twinkled at me and said,

Nice dog ever wash him?

I was offended and defended my clean dog's honor.

The conversation took off.

My shy friend grudgingly joined us, and soon she was engaged, chatting too.

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