Itsa国际传媒檚 traditional to commemorate 30 years of marriage with pearls, but instead Larry Steiner decided to lean on complete strangers to help bring his wife, Holly Bruce-Steiner, an anniversary she wonsa国际传媒檛 soon forget.

Earlier this week, Larry took to the streets of Coquitlam posting signs asking sa国际传媒測ou, a complete strangersa国际传媒� to text his wife on Friday with the words: sa国际传媒淟arry Loves You.sa国际传媒�

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sa国际传媒淎ltogether, my wife Holly has put up with me for 40 years! (How she has done that is still a mystery!)sa国际传媒� the sign read.

Larry, who described himself as old school, asked people to help spread the word about his special surprise by taking a photo of his poster and sharing it online.

He expected a few strangers to help him out, maybe 40 people, but the power of social media took hold and the next day, Holly had received more than 3,000 text messages.

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e still coming through saying, sa国际传媒楬appy belated, Larry loves you a day more now,sa国际传媒� and just the most creative texts,sa国际传媒� she told Black Press Media.

Of course, Holly was a bit confused at first when she began receiving the mystery texts.

sa国际传媒淚 didnsa国际传媒檛 have a clue. I woke up on our anniversary and a text came through from Montreal and I thought sa国际传媒楾hatsa国际传媒檚 weird,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淎nd then a dozen more came through sa国际传媒� two dozen sa国际传媒� and I asked Larry what was going on!

sa国际传媒淗e said to go look out at my car and I went out to my car and he had put a flyer on it, so thatsa国际传媒檚 when it all made sense to me and then it just sort of broke loose after that.sa国际传媒�

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From across Canada to as far as India, Hollysa国际传媒檚 phone was buzzing nearly every second through the day. And when people couldnsa国际传媒檛 get through sa国际传媒� presumably because of so many incoming messages sa国际传媒� they appeared to have dug up the website of her business, Lighten Up! Jewels, and emailed her.

sa国际传媒淚 had phone calls from Tokyo and Kyoto,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淧eople were sending messages from Mexico and Dubai, all over the United States, Alaska and the Yukon.sa国际传媒�

Holly had a surprise of her own

Holly and Larry first met in 1979, while Holly was a waitress at a restaurant in the Lower Mainland, and she was instantly smitten.

sa国际传媒淚 thought, sa国际传媒極h thatsa国际传媒檚 a cute guy,sa国际传媒� and then I saw him a year later and I had just gotten promoted to hostess of the dining room so I threw a party for the staff and turns out he was friends with some of the regulars Isa国际传媒檇 invited, and it was just love at first sight,sa国际传媒� she explained.

They later eloped in Marina del Rey, California in Aug. 2, 1989.

Since then, Holly said Larry always tries to make moments special for her sa国际传媒� but it appears romantic gestures are a strong commonality between the pair.

For her gift to him, Holly planned a special night at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody. But due to the forecast, she was worried the weather would hamper her surprise on their actual anniversary, so she organized it for the Thursday prior instead.

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sa国际传媒淚 dry cleaned his outfit and put it out for him and said Isa国际传媒檇 meet him at such-and-such a time,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲hen he came strolling up I was wearing my original wedding dress Isa国际传媒檇 gotten married in and a bouquet of flowers sa国际传媒� and I even was wearing the leather shoes he had re-dyed for me.sa国际传媒�

While the pair have what many would call a sa国际传媒渟hout it from the rooftopssa国际传媒� one-of-a-kind love, Holly said her and Larry have still faced the same kinds of trials and tribulations so many other couples face through decades together.

When asked what one piece of advice shesa国际传媒檇 give on matters of the heart, her answer was simple: accept the differences, appreciate one another and be honest.

sa国际传媒淓veryone shows their love in different ways, and I cansa国际传媒檛 expect my partner to meet all my needs. Itsa国际传媒檚 about putting your oxygen mask on first and then helping someone else, and I donsa国际传媒檛 mean that in a selfish way but a self-full way,sa国际传媒� she said.

sa国际传媒淎nd of course being grateful for what the other person brings to the relationship. I guess that would be unconditional love.sa国际传媒�

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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