Kate's Story: I was raised by storytellers. Gathered around the dinner table, we told true stories and imaginative tall tales. One story that captivated me as a young girl was the story my parents told of how they met. What fascinated me was the discovery that they hadn’t always been middle-aged parents as I knew them then; that what I was seeing at that moment was just the middle of a love story. I still love to hear couples tell how they met, how they fell in love, and what joys and surprises they’ve found along the way.
I was born near Boston, Massachusetts, in 1959. In never thought I would fall in love with a boy from Texas, until I met David. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world through my dance with David, and I don’t ever plan to take off my dancing shoes. One of the many gifts he has given me has been to show me a truly generous soul. I am in awe of someone who can give away the very last brownie, and feel good about it.
David’s Story: I as born in Dallas, Texas, in 1956 and all my relatives still live in Texas an Oklahoma. As a Methodist minister’s son, I was always on the road growing up. I lived in Chicago, Kansas, South Carolina, Germany, Malaysia, California and Colorado before meeting Kate during the fall of 1981 in New York City, where we had both just started working for the same company. I still remember when I first saw Kate as we rode up the packed elevator. I thought, “Wow, who is the beautiful, tall woman standing in the corner? Hope she gets off at my floor.” She did.
Several years ago I co-wrote a book with my grandfather shortly before he died: The Book of Myself, which helps people write their own do-it-yourself autobiographies. Hyperion and Disney Publishing believed in the power of family storytelling and published that book in 1997. In the same spirit, Kate and I wrote this book to help people capture the love relationship. So, The Book of Us was born.
After we wrote this book, we “road tested” it by filling it out ourselves. Since we are in our middle years, we were able to fill out most of it. We laughed and cried as we remembers some of the precious and painful moments along the way. We hope our children, Emily and Ben, will enjoy reading about the love that inspired their birth and nurturing. A we approached our fifteenth wedding anniversary, we are still deeply in love and look forward to creating many more love stories together. “Later Years,” here we come!
In love relationships there are three parts: me, you and us. All three deserve a chance to have their story recorded. All three are compelling, both to the main characters and to the generations that follow. This journal lets you tell the story of your “us.”
Introduction from Book
