Unexpected Love: Falling for Someone Who Wasn’t My Type

In a relationship defined by resilience and an unconventional start, Bill and Justine Shera have turned the concept of marriage into a recurring celebration. Bill, a 52-year-old electrical engineer, often tells acquaintances that he has been married three times—a claim that typically prompts a variety of surprised reactions before he delivers the punchline.

The revelation, as Bill describes it, is that all three weddings were to the same woman.

Now living on a rural property in Taranaki, New Zealand, the couple recently celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary. Their story, featured in the NZ Herald series How we make it work, traces a journey from a chance encounter in a digital chat room to a life shared through significant health and financial trials.

A Digital Spark Across Hemispheres

The foundation of the Sheras’ relationship was laid in an online chat room known as Rob’s Place. At the time, Bill was living in Canada, while Justine was in Aotearoa. Bill recalls a period of intense labor, working three jobs—gardening by day, delivering pizzas in the afternoon, and DJing at a bar by night—and using the chat room as a way to unwind.

Their first interaction began with a clash of personalities. Justine made a dramatic arrival in the chat, mentioning cartwheels, to which Bill responded by jokingly rating her entrance a five and a half out of 10. While Justine took offense to the score, the friction sparked a conversation that neither party wanted to end.

Despite initial admissions that neither was the other’s typical type, the connection proved immediate and profound. The distance between Canada and New Zealand served as the first of many hurdles the couple would navigate together.

Three Weddings, One Partnership

The couple’s history of three weddings serves as a metaphor for the different stages of their commitment. According to the couple, the three ceremonies were categorized by their purpose:

• The first was a matter of necessity.
• The second was held for the sake of celebration.
• The third was a renewal of a commitment originally made 20 years prior.

Justine, a content creator and founder of the My Balance Project, notes that the story of the three weddings has become Bill’s favorite anecdote to share with others.

Navigating Adversity

The stability of the Sheras’ 24-year marriage has been tested by a series of coinciding hardships. The couple has navigated the stress of redundancies and the complexities of IVF. Their health has also been a central battle, with the pair facing long covid and Justine undergoing gastric bypass surgery.

Through these periods of instability, the couple credits their survival to a reciprocal system of support. They describe their secret to longevity as the ability to remain strong for the other when one of them is unable to do so.

Their bond was further solidified by the arrival of their son, whom they credit with helping to heal them during their most difficult chapters.

From the early days of rating cartwheels in a chat room to the quiet of their rural Taranaki home, Bill and Justine Shera’s relationship remains a testament to the idea that the most enduring partnerships often begin in the most unexpected ways.