I am not really a romantic at heart, but sometimes I run across a story that just melts me. The story of Lionel and Ellen Buxton is one of those stories. In a day and age when we're constantly bombarded by some ridiculous celebrity quickie marriage (ahem, Kim Kardashian anyone?), it's refreshing to know that some couples stay together for decades and somehow make things work, no matter what.

You need to know about Lionel and Ellen Buxton, and here's why: These two have been happily married for nearly 82 years. And no, that isn't a typo: They wed on July 18, 1936, and they'll celebrate their 82nd anniversary in 2012. This, to me, represents some truly inspiring, great news.

Lionel and Ellen first met and fell in love in 1930. The Londoners have been going strong ever since. Oh, and did I mention that Ellen is 100 and Lionel is 99 years old?!  This couple has seen it all: wars, depressions and cancer (Ellen had bowel cancer a decade ago). What is their secret?Lionel tells the British newspaper the Daily Mail that he's Ellen's "toy boy." Right there, you can certainly tell these two are playful and fun! They also apparently have a lot in common, "including TV soaps, bingo, cards, quizzes and reading novels." As someone who has been married a while (though certainly not as long as these two), I agree: Sharing common interests with a spouse can make life way more fun together. While my spouse and I don't always like the same things, we share enough interests that we wind up doing a lot of fun activities together.

I want to wish Lionel and Ellen Buxton a very, very Happy Anniversary a little early. Their story really did inspire, and it's wonderful to see a couple so in love after so long. In fact, Ellen says of her "toy boy" Lionel, "We are more in love now than ever. We keep each other going."

And Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, also a little early!