Love with a capital “L” really does exist. Gérald Théoret and Lise St-Cyr have lived it for several decades.
Aged 87 and 82 respectively, the lovebirds met in 1954. They have been married for almost 64 years. Mrs. St-Cyr remembers very well meeting the man who would become her husband, her life companion, her best friend. “He used to deliver the mail to us, she said. To tell the truth, we had caught each other’s eye. But, we got to know each other. At 17, he had become my suitor.”
Married at 18 years and a few months, Mrs. St-Cyr assures that despite the years that have passed, the day when she and her Gérald said yes, is still the most beautiful day of her life. “We had a beautiful life filled with love. We had 5 children. I remember very well the birth of each of my children. These are beautiful moments that Gerald and I shared.”
Disputes have never been long in the Théoret St-Cyr family. In fact, it is communication that would be the basis of everything according to Lise St-Cyr. “It’s hard to believe, but we never went to bed when we had just had an argument. When there was a misunderstanding, we would discuss it and then sort it out. We preferred to go to bed with a light heart.”
Still according to the woman, another secret to the longevity of a love life is to take care of your loved one. “I take care of him and he takes care of me. We are good together. We feel a lot of love and respect for each other. One other thing is that before being parents we were a couple. It was important for us to be able to do activities without the children. So, I would call the babysitter and Gerald and I would leave for a romantic evening. »
Under the same roof
At one time, Mr. Théoret was a truck driver. Opportunities to be on the road for long periods of time were frequent. However, he never accepted the offers offered to him.
“He refused all the time,” says Mrs. St-Cyr. He said his place was with his family. So, he left early in the morning, but he came back every day. In fact, we have always slept under the same roof since we got married. The only times we have been separated is due to hospitalizations.”
No need to bury our heads in the sand, elderly people have not made vows of chastity. “Just because we’re octogenarians doesn’t mean we don’t have an intimate life. You should know that a kiss, a hug, a sweet little word whispered in the ear, can also be intimacy. People are wrong to believe that making love automatically means there is penetration.”
Getting old
If the love that Lise and Gérald feel is limitless, inevitably a merciless enemy will come to invite himself into this endless waltz. One day the grim reaper will strike. “We live in a retirement home. We socialize with other residents whose partner has died. It’s very sad. In my case, I never want to leave my husband alone without me. It’s the same for him. We have a hard time imagining that one day it will happen. I believe that if that happens to me, I will die too, but of grief.”
