Harmonious Convergences

Same on the Inside

Ron and Lynn with daughter Mekenzye

Sixteen years ago, Lynn, who's African-American, met a German-Italian massage therapist who "always had a witty comeback." Thirteen years of marriage and a 9-year-old daughter later, Lynn, a first-grade teacher, is still smiling. "This relationship has made me more relaxed—no acts or airs," she says of her marriage. "It doesn't matter how I look. In his eyes, I am beautiful."

The family lives in Sunrise, Florida, but Lynn grew up in predominantly white Chevy Chase, Maryland, and says her parents encouraged her to marry whomever she'd be happiest with. "When it comes to race, I think we all need to put our fears away," she says. "We aren't different on the inside. We love the same. We feel the same. We are the same."