You may recall this photo and poem from a Poetic Thursday post in May of 2020.
Please continue reading for what I feel is an almost unbelievable story.
This was my poem:
The Gondola Ride
The gondolier continues to paddle along,
but no longer serenades them with a song.
It’s been 60 years since these two said “I do”;
he’d do it again, and she would, too.
To celebrate they booked this ride,
still happy to be by each other’s side.
The gentle motion, the gondolier’s song,
and the urge to nap became just too strong.
This photo snapped by a person nearby:
a small souvenir they didn’t have to buy.
It’s just another memory in this sweet life
they spend together as husband and wife.
One day last month, I received an email from someone named Darlene. She is the DAUGHTER of the man in the gondola photo!! How exciting is that?! This was her message:
“Your poem is so lovely that I wanted to ask you if I could use it in a gift to my Dad? He turns 80 years old this week and I think he would absolutely love your poem! My dad and his wife had a wonderful trip to Italy and seeing their picture and knowing it went viral was very exciting to them. And now knowing that someone wrote a poem about them will just be extra special! I plan to make a copy of their picture, type out your poem and frame it for him and his wife. ”
I consider this to be quite an honor, and of course, I gave her my permission.
A couple of weeks later, I received this photo of ‘the famous gondola couple’ holding the framed photo along with my poem. Darlene mentioned to me that she changed the number of years (from 60 in my poem) to 26, which is how long they’ve been married. With everyone’s permission, I’m sharing the photo today with my readers.
This experience has just warmed my heart. Thank you, Darlene, for reaching out and sharing this story with me, and now with my readers. All my best to you and your family.
Just another of the many reasons I love to blog.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 