On Saturday, former Pennsylvania senator Harris Wofford, now 90, announced his engagement in a touching op-ed, published by the New York Times.In his younger days, Mr. Wofford served as special assistant for civil rights to President John F. Kennedy and adviser to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.He was married to his wife Clare for 48 years.In his op-ed, Wofford writes: Clare and I fell in love trying to save the world during World War II. He goes on to say that the couple s  romance and adventure  continued through the decades. They raised three children, and he states that  she was the heart of their family. He writes:When I told her,  You re my best friend,  she would reply,  and your best critic.  And when I said,  You re my best critic,  she responded,  and your best friend. She died 20 years ago, as they were both nearing their 70th birthdays.He says:I assumed that I was too old to seek or expect another romance.But five years later, Mr. Wofford would find love again.In writing about the moment he met his future spouse, he describes the scene in this way:It was afternoon, and the tanning beachgoers faced west, toward the wall of concrete buildings lining the boulevard, to catch the sun, ignoring the beautiful sea. I swam alone in the water, attracting the attention of two bystanders near the shore. They came over to say hello, which is how I met Matthew Charlton.He says his second love is someone whose  inquisitive and thoughtful manner  and  charm  struck him right away. They became fast friends and travelled together often.It was three years before the former senator found the  nerve  to tell his children about the romance. In time, he says, they welcomed him into the family.Now, 15 years later, the couple is planning to celebrate their marriage on April 30.He writes:Twice in my life, I ve felt the pull of such passionate preference. At age 90, I am lucky to be in an era where the Supreme Court has strengthened what President Obama calls  the dignity of marriage  by recognizing that matrimony is not based on anyone s sexual nature, choices or dreams. It is based on love.The former senator speaks from the heart when he says: It is right to expand our conception of marriage to include all Americans who love each other. Image credit: Why Tuesday via Flckr cc 2.0