A Lifetime of Happiness, Part 2
January 31, 2013 7:01 AM Subscribe
Ada Laurie Bryant, 97, and Robert Mitchell Haire, 86, were married last Saturday. The two met in 2007 at their retirement community and were widow and widower. They began going on regular lunch dates after they both realized they hate going to dinner alone, even though they knew it meant they might be labeled a "couple" by the other residents. The bride is keeping her name.
Look at that photo! That is the best thing ever.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:11 AM on January 31, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:11 AM on January 31, 2013 [9 favorites]
I love that they met because of her painting. Mazel tov!
posted by BibiRose at 7:14 AM on January 31, 2013
posted by BibiRose at 7:14 AM on January 31, 2013
♥
All out of snark for the moment. Good on them.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:14 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
All out of snark for the moment. Good on them.
posted by Kadin2048 at 7:14 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
Since they get those labels of couple, seems that this sort of thing happens all the time but maybe without the official marriage.
>as your cynicism dictates
Two older people found happiness and joy together. I doubt even Mefi can overthink up something to snark about that.
posted by anti social order at 7:16 AM on January 31, 2013
>as your cynicism dictates
Two older people found happiness and joy together. I doubt even Mefi can overthink up something to snark about that.
posted by anti social order at 7:16 AM on January 31, 2013
He was afraid to give it to her in person.
Guys, heh. It just never gets easier.
What a great story.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:23 AM on January 31, 2013 [3 favorites]
Guys, heh. It just never gets easier.
What a great story.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:23 AM on January 31, 2013 [3 favorites]
She seems like a cradle robber to me. 11 years her junior!?! Scandalous.
posted by gjc at 7:46 AM on January 31, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by gjc at 7:46 AM on January 31, 2013 [5 favorites]
Two older people found happiness and joy together. I doubt even Mefi can overthink up something to snark about that.
This "married couple", better described as a pair of elderly benefit-scroungers, are just marrying so they can take advantage of a reduced monthly rental fee in their retirement castle as well as the tax benefits afforded to retired married couples. Everyone knows old people do not experience "happiness" or "joy", but rather just coldly calculate how they can exploit a situation to gain the most, as evidenced here.
posted by cmonkey at 8:36 AM on January 31, 2013 [6 favorites]
This "married couple", better described as a pair of elderly benefit-scroungers, are just marrying so they can take advantage of a reduced monthly rental fee in their retirement castle as well as the tax benefits afforded to retired married couples. Everyone knows old people do not experience "happiness" or "joy", but rather just coldly calculate how they can exploit a situation to gain the most, as evidenced here.
posted by cmonkey at 8:36 AM on January 31, 2013 [6 favorites]
You remember when Ira met Irma in the old folks home? They fell in love and decided to get married. When they came back from the honeymoon, all the gents in the gentlemen's gathering room were curious.
"Ira, Ira," they asked. "How was the wedding night?"
Ira replied with a sly smile, "Imagine! After all of these years! A virgin!"
And in the ladies' gathering room, a similar conversation occurred. "Irma, well, tell us all about it!"
And Irma said with wry amusement, "After all of these years! If I'd known he could still get it up, I'd have taken off my pantyhose!"
posted by tizzie at 8:38 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
"Ira, Ira," they asked. "How was the wedding night?"
Ira replied with a sly smile, "Imagine! After all of these years! A virgin!"
And in the ladies' gathering room, a similar conversation occurred. "Irma, well, tell us all about it!"
And Irma said with wry amusement, "After all of these years! If I'd known he could still get it up, I'd have taken off my pantyhose!"
posted by tizzie at 8:38 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
Dude knows what he's doing. Older women are ca-razzzzzzy fun.
posted by meadowlark lime at 9:03 AM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by meadowlark lime at 9:03 AM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pick one as your cynicism dictates:
d: Marriage is for procreation and so this is a sham that is undermining the sanctity of marriage.
good for them!
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:10 AM on January 31, 2013 [4 favorites]
d: Marriage is for procreation and so this is a sham that is undermining the sanctity of marriage.
good for them!
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:10 AM on January 31, 2013 [4 favorites]
She seems like a cradle robber to me. 11 years her junior!?! Scandalous.
"I'm even dating a young Brazilian retired actress ... Some say I'm robbing the cradle but I say she's robbing the grave."
posted by griphus at 9:18 AM on January 31, 2013
"I'm even dating a young Brazilian retired actress ... Some say I'm robbing the cradle but I say she's robbing the grave."
posted by griphus at 9:18 AM on January 31, 2013
Cute.
The standard NYT references to schools and degrees seem silly when the couple is 70-80 years removed from graduation.
posted by brain_drain at 9:29 AM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
The standard NYT references to schools and degrees seem silly when the couple is 70-80 years removed from graduation.
posted by brain_drain at 9:29 AM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah I really liked how it told us about their parents.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:33 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:33 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]
this past weekend, my 89 year old grandfather married a 91 year old woman he had become fond of in the retirement community. it got some local news attention, and my grandfather had the opportunity to call his wife-to-be a cougar on local television news. they just got back from their honeymoon, and i trust my new stepgrandmother has recovered from her bachelorette party where she took a shot off a stripper's bare abdomen. we've decided not to tell my grandfather that story for various reasons, chief of all being his thrice-repaired heart probably couldn't take the shock.
posted by oog at 9:46 AM on January 31, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by oog at 9:46 AM on January 31, 2013 [4 favorites]
She seems like a cradle robber to me. 11 years her junior!?! Scandalous.
Hey now, the rule is 'half your age plus 7'. So she can date anyone who is 55 or older without looking skeezy.
posted by FatherDagon at 9:47 AM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hey now, the rule is 'half your age plus 7'. So she can date anyone who is 55 or older without looking skeezy.
posted by FatherDagon at 9:47 AM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
She explained why she first turned him down. “There’s a great difference in our ages, as you can see,” she said.
That would be a concern, with a gap that big. She might be into ragtime while he only likes that newfangled jazz noise.
posted by DecemberBoy at 9:04 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
That would be a concern, with a gap that big. She might be into ragtime while he only likes that newfangled jazz noise.
posted by DecemberBoy at 9:04 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hands down, that is the best wedding story I've read in the NYT. Loved the photo.
We have a seniors' home on our dog walking route and have gotten to know some of the residents who sit around and chat outside when the weather is good. They are mostly pretty active and independent, as it is not a nursing home, just subsidized housing with meals and housecleaning available. Anyway, I really enjoy hearing the residents' stories about who said what this week and how snotty that woman is, and how that guy is so bossy--thinks he runs the place, and how this guy is a real ladies' man and all around smooth talker. It reminds me very much of my days living in university residence and all the drama that went on. Anyway, that is what I thought of when I read the part about how they ate lunch together even though they knew it would get them branded as "a couple." Yup, 100% accurate if the accounts from our local seniors' home are anything to go by.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:40 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
We have a seniors' home on our dog walking route and have gotten to know some of the residents who sit around and chat outside when the weather is good. They are mostly pretty active and independent, as it is not a nursing home, just subsidized housing with meals and housecleaning available. Anyway, I really enjoy hearing the residents' stories about who said what this week and how snotty that woman is, and how that guy is so bossy--thinks he runs the place, and how this guy is a real ladies' man and all around smooth talker. It reminds me very much of my days living in university residence and all the drama that went on. Anyway, that is what I thought of when I read the part about how they ate lunch together even though they knew it would get them branded as "a couple." Yup, 100% accurate if the accounts from our local seniors' home are anything to go by.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:40 PM on January 31, 2013 [1 favorite]
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a)Love never dies.
b) Convenience never end.
c) Hope springs eternal.
posted by Mezentian at 7:08 AM on January 31, 2013 [2 favorites]