Meet Rina, Don and Amelia from New Jersey

Meet Rina Howe, Don Howe and their granddaughter, Amelia from New Jersey. Amelia is currently their only grandchild. Don says, “She’s the most beautiful girl in the world. She is brave, kind, and confident. This is Rina and Amelia’s first time ever stepping foot in a cave!” Don is only child and proud tool and die maker. His roots stretch all the way back to Scotland. His grandparents and infant father immigrated from Scotland to the United States in 1930s. At 12 years old, Don’s grandfather brought him to Scotland to visit family. For Don, it was a journey across generations. He had researched his last name “Howe” and discovered that it is most likely of English decent. Interestingly enough, depending on the variant and origin the name refers to a “hill” or “knoll.” He joked, “I’m pretty sure my grandfather just brought me along on that trip to be his baggage boy.” Don remembers simpler times from his childhood. He remembers days of returning home from school and just being able to play outside with his friends until dark. They would run through the neighborhood. Free. Safe. Unbothered. He said, “That kind of freedom feels like it has been stripped away from our youth today. I think it’s rare and rarer that children have the opportunity to experience independence and freedom. A little independence and freedom can do children a lot of good. It helps them build self-confidence, good decision-making abilities, responsibility, and relationships.” In 2008, Don lost his first wife to cancer. He was so completely heartbroken that he truly believed he would never be able love again. Two years later, he met Rina on a dating app. She is of Peruvian heritage and had just moved to the Middletown, New Jersey. Don excitedly offered to show her around because he knew all sorts of great places to visit. The only problem was that the day that they chose to meet was New Year’s Day. They quickly realized that they had no idea what was open for the day. They ended up at a local diner. Rina said, “When I first saw Don I felt like he had catfished me. His profile picture was of him with a long hair and a beard which I found very attractive. When we met, he had short hair and was clean shaven. Then, as a gift, he had brought me chocolates. I, personally, do not like chocolate. We were not off to a good start. As we were talking I remembered something that the elder women in my family would say. “Pay attention to the way a man looks at you. He doesn’t even need to speak for you to hear him.” I could tell by the way that Don looked at me that he adored me. That’s how I knew he was the one. The sweatshirt he is wearing today he had made for everyone who attended my 57th birthday.” The couple has been together for 15 years and married for 11. The one thing they want to tell the world is, “What the world needs now is love. Have more compassion and empathy towards each other, especially our youth. Sometimes it’s hard to look beyond present, but we should see that the children are the future. They need our support now more than ever.” Thank you so much for visiting!