Life

A Couple In Their 90s Went On A Blind Date

by Brianna Wiest

Saying that "dating is hard" sounds like another annoying Millennial platitude, but been tried and true over the course of, uh, forever. There's nothing sweeter than love, and well, there seems to be nothing worse than imagining not being committed to someone by the time you reach the end of your life. Yet, once in a while, a story like this couple in their 90s who had a blind date surfaces and reminds us all that hope is not lost, love always exists, and it's never too late to have the love story you've always dreamed of.

Miriam Steiner, 93, and Harold Sharlin, 90, probably didn't expect to find anything in particular when they met up for their blind date last Sunday at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C. They were set up by Sharlin's granddaughter, who waited on Steiner last week at a restaurant. (It goes to show you: you can find Mr./Ms. Right without swiping right for them!)

As soon as Miriam arrived, she told the info desk that she was meeting a date. When the people working at the store saw him arrive, they asked if they could quickly snap a photo of them. They agreed, before returning to what ended up being some very great conversation. The image was posted to the store's Facebook account, and ended up receiving a lot of attention for how sweet it was (and, well, how much hope it gives us all!).

Miriam is a widow who hasn't had a date since 1999, when she lost her husband. "I loved him, and I didn't look for anyone else after that," she explained to TODAY. "But I said, all right, what have I got to lose?" Similarly, Harold lost his wife just a year prior, in 1998, but has dated on and off since then. He said that he actually called Miriam for their second date the very next day. They made plans to meet at a café to talk some more.

"My Jenny was so impressed with Miriam's pep and vigor that she said, 'You'd make a great date for my grandfather!'" Sharlin told TODAY about the date. "In the Jewish religion, we call that a 'shadchan' — a matchmaker," added Steiner.

So there you have it — IRL love in the age of Tinder. Aside from how absolutely, insanely adorable this whole thing is (they make a cute couple, nobody can deny that), it's weirdly reassuring and comforting to remember that there's no timeline for love, particularly when you're in your 20s (and 30s... and 40s...), and it seems like everyone is finding someone, committing, and settling down. If it's not too late for them, it's not too late for us — hope lives on!

Images: Pixabay