A Love Story

I never get tired of telling the story. 

I think this is mostly because the story itself is so unbelievable.  It’s like a fairy tale.  Or a cheesy romantic comedy.  And yet it’s real. 

The story begins with two college kids, one young lady and one young man, in December of 1978.  Our duo found themselves doing what many college students tend to do on a typical evening.  Both were enjoying an evening out with their respective friends.  At some point that evening, the young man spotted the young lady across the bar.  History knows not whether it was a casual glance or the culmination of a littany of guarded glances throughout the evening.  What we do know is that in a moment of inspiration that would make Cupid smile, our young man turned to his best buddy and stated simply, “You see that girl over there; that’s the girl I’m going to marry.”

It was a silly claim, thought the friend, one full of bravado and perhaps induced a bit by the activities of the evening.  But our young man knew what he was saying.  He made his way across the room and spoke to the young lady.  Though they had never met before this December night, the two found that they had many mutual friends at school, and the friendship which blossomed that evening carried over into the days thereafter. 

In fact, the two became inseperable quite quickly, and were distraught when the young lady had to leave over the Christmas holiday to return to her home in New Jersey.  They had only known each other for a couple weeks, and yet they couldn’t imagine spending the time apart. 

So, they didn’t.

The young man discreetly followed his new love all the way north to her home.
He was following not logic but relying instead on instinct.  His heart had not changed since the moment he first saw her.  Remarkably, her heart was singing the same tune.  At the dawn of 1979, mere weeks since their first encounter, our couple was engaged. 

It was  six months later that the union was officially celebrated with a wedding at a church on Franklin Street, not far from the site of our couple’s first meeting.  The date was June 23, 1979 - exactly 30 years ago today - and a lot has happened in the intervening years since the couple tied the knot.  Yet the love which was ignited on the fateful December night remains. 

It’s the longevity of this love, juxtaposed against the speed in which it came into being, which makes the story so unique. 

I’ve never heard any other story like it.  It’s like a fairy tale.  Or a cheesy romantic comedy.  And yet it’s real.

It’s the story of my Mom and Dad.

Happy 30th Anniversary, you crazy kids!