February 13, 2021
Even in the midst of a pandemic, love is always in the air at Bayview. This Valentine’s Day, we would like to highlight some special love stories to make everyone’s Valentine’s Day a little more special this year. We spoke to three of Bayview’s couples this year and asked them if they would tell us their story, and more importantly, what they think the key is to a long-lasting love.
Bayview residents Marian and Fred are going to be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this year. The two of them met back in 1951 at a college dance. Fred asked Marian to dance, and their relationship began from there. The two of them have spent the past 70 years adventuring and living life to the fullest. From raising a family in Ohio to spending time in the Philippines and Taiwan with the Institute of Cultural Affairs, the two of them have made endless amounts of memories and have countless stories to tell. The two of them moved out to Seattle in 1988 following their children to be involved in their lives and watch their grandchildren grow up.
Al and Mary are another special Bayview couple who coincidently met at Bayview. The two of them were on the Milk Carton Derby Committee together, where they spent months working together and foraged a special friendship. After the derby, they began spending time together outside of Bayview partaking in all the fun activities Seattle has to offer. One day Al was reminded of a quote from a Tennessee Williams play that said, “life is like a three-act play, and the third act is poorly written”. He realized that with Mary he could make his third act the best one yet and he then decided to propose to her. The Bayview community was a huge part of the couple’s relationship so they were sure to include everyone from an engagement party to having their wedding ceremony in Bayview’s chapel.
The last couple is Jack and Akiko. Jack grew up in the International District of Seattle and set out to Japan one day to meet some of his family. While in Japan, a mutual friend introduced him to Akiko. The two hit it off right away and came back to San Francisco where they got married, raised a family, and ran a restaurant together. The two of them moved into Bayview just under a year ago. Since then Akiko has moved into our health center. COVID-19 restrictions prevent the couple from seeing each other face to face, but that hasn’t stopped them from “seeing” each other. The two of them have weekly video calls, where they order-in some sushi, and sing their favorite Japanese songs together.
When talking to these couples, there were many pieces of advice they offered on how to have a strong, long-lasting love like them. The common piece of advice was to enjoy each other’s presence and spend quality time together because it goes by fast. Al offered the most important piece of advice which is to always say “yes dear”.
It is amazing to see the amount of love that lives inside of Bayview. Love always wins.
