But when I came across the heartwarming story of an elderly couple who was married for 53 years and held on to their vows till death did them part, I had goosebumps.
Even though this sounds like a scene from Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook, it’s not. 80-year-old Betty Tarpley and her 79-year-old husband Curtis Tarpley first met in high school and fell in love with each other as adults. Since then, they’ve stayed together for more than half of their lives.
Their 52-year-old son, Tim revealed that the nurses had been able to wheel Curtis to Betty’s room so that they could spend more time together. However, Betty’s condition soon worsened and Tim got a phone call from her telling them that she was “ready to go”.
I just screamed ‘No!’ I was like, ‘I’ve got too much, too many other things to do in this life that I want to show you, and I’m not ready.
-Tim
ICU nurse, Blake Throne along with her team moved Betty to the ICU so that she could be with her husband of five decades.
It felt like the right thing to do was to get them together.
-Blake Throne
Tim didn’t get to see his father again. Though he did manage to see his mother for the last time for a couple of minutes.
They obviously knew each other well enough that they could communicate without words.
Betty and Curtis’ eternal love gives me hope, it makes me believe that soulmates just don’t exist in rom-coms. May their souls rest together in peace.