Did you ever think about the famous phrase: “In good times as in bad”? I never did understand what this really meant before I met this elder couple.

I want to speak about an occurrence that impressed me very much. As a reporter for a local newspaper sometimes I am writing about couples who are married for many, many years. Recently I had on my schedule a couple who would celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. We call this the “Diamond Wedding”. I did what I always have to do: I called the elder couple, introduced myself and explained that I want to visit them, speak about their marriage, their life and the secret of their long lasting love and finally take a photo of them.

The friendly man on the phone agreed.

The day came, my article was planned and I visited the couple. Their son let me in and guided me to the next room. And then I was shocked in that moment because the wife was ill in bed. Obviously she was  conscious. The friendly husband welcomed me; I tried to say hello to his wife, but she was not with us. Then we sat down and we started to talk. In my head whirled the thoughts: “No, I can’t do this. I must think of the human dignity of the poor woman. This story is dead. I can’t do my job here.”

But then I pushed the bad thoughts away and I started to listen to the old man. He told me about their first meeting, how they fell in love. He has spoken of the very heavy time which they had to get over after the war, years of sorrow, hard work and making sacrifice. But their love never went away and helped them all through the bad times.

“True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself.
It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations: it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart.”

Honore de Balzac

I was sitting in front of this wonderful old man who told me about more than 60 love letters he wrote for his wife. He   assured me that he has kept every single letter. He said with tears in his eyes: sometimes, and now more and more often, he brings this letters out and he reads them for his wife. I got to know this friendly 86 years old man, looking after his seriously ill woman almost without help for more than six years. He maintains and supplies her the whole day. He said: “I would like to keep her here with myself as long as it goes. It is our home.” In this moment I understood why he invited me:  he really wanted to tell me his story and he wanted me to tell the readers about their life. He was so proud of their common life achievement. I felt a special esteem for this man and I knew: I had to write this article. And I did it with pleasure and necessary sensitivity!

For my article I needed to take a picture. So I have asked him to lean against his woman.  I started making some photos. At this moment he gently stroked her cheek and whispered to her: “Today you are a bride. Today you are my bride.” Very touching. I was so glad that I could hide my face behind my camera in these seconds, because tears ran about my cheeks. Not very professional!

Fortunately, I had a good idea how to photograph the “diamond pair“ without showing the ill woman in a bad light.
So I could publish the story of this wonderful people.

And this picture I made reminds me now and forever:
This must be real, pure and everlasting love!

In good times as in bad.

written by Verena Toth