“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” —George Sand
“Love is like a virus. It can happen to anybody at any time.”
—Maya Angelou
Cecile and I met in 1972 at a party in Chicago neither of us planned to attend. She was with a blind date and I was on my own. And suddenly it happened, that funny little feeling I felt but couldn’t see. It was aptly described in a George Jones lyrics in the 60s: "Oh, that little teeny weeny thing they call the love bug" I never saw it coming, but my whole world began to slowly shift when we first met. It all started when our eyes met and we began talking and I felt my heart tug. It was that "little bitty teeny weeny thing they call the love bug".
I was in podiatric medical school, working part-time at a grocery supermarket called the A&P, and I wasn’t ready to commit. But, as time went on I realized I had already lost that battle when I got bit by the "teeny weeny thing they call the love bug. It really fooled me, hit me, really took me by surprise,” every time I heard your gentle caring voice and looked into your eyes.
We moved to California in 1975 and married in 1977.
Our anniversary is a moment to remember, and one more year to celebrate. We have lived together for 48 years, learned together, grown together and raised
two wonderful children (Jason and Michelle) together who are living happy and productive lives and we were blessed with our beautiful granddaughter, Lyla. We have found our love has strengthened in the gentle hands of time. In that time we have shared each other’s burdens and shared each other’s joys. Cecile, our anniversary is a special reason to celebrate one more year of loving each other.
Together we have discovered that we are literally each other’s half. We have learned that every day we love, and
every day we forgive. As the late mythologist scholar, Joseph Campbell said, "Love and forgiveness are like the yin/yang symbol…Here I am, and here she is, and here we are.” Our lives are committed to the relationship. As we face a different kind of bug, named, coronavirus, I can’t think of anyone else I would rather "Shelter in Place" with.
Love,
Dennis
