I’m old enough now to know that you meet only a few people in your life whom you really know you can count on, people who get it, people whose character you not only admire but trust unreservedly. I have the great good fortune to have all of that, and more, in Angie.
Toby and Angie, each of them separately and both of them together, show us something you so seldom see: They engage in the big world of life in their own, genuine ways. They do not hide from life, they do not shield themselves from each other or from love the way so many of us do. They choose the difficult path, to struggle and learn and grow, yet with their sense of play and good humor, and they help others so well do the same. If you asked them why, they might ask why you would ever want to do anything less. What a wonderful couple.
I’d like to read you something now, by the poet and tenth-generation New Yorker Taylor Mali. It’s called:
How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don’t you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block
and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions at once,
or wind itself around and around you
until you’re all wound up and you cannot move.
But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
