25 Years Later They Laugh At Critics Who Said Marriage Wouldn’t Last

There are many people who get married despite the fact that critics may doubt their ability to stay married for the long term. This often happens when we get married quickly or perhaps we are young and people don’t think we are yet responsible enough for the bond.

In 1995, there was a young couple who also were doubted but they ended up getting married and they stayed married for 25 years. They also were the first couple with Down syndrome in the UK to become husband and wife.

These days, we hear about people who have Down syndrome getting married on a regular basis. At that time, however, it was unheard of and it was the first time in the world that a couple with Down syndrome said I do.

Just like any other disability, however, those with Down syndrome have the ability to beat the odds, and certainly, that is what Tommy and Maryanne Pilling did. In fact, they are an inspiration to many who wonder if they have what it takes.

Maryanne was born in 1971. Her mother, Linda Martin, provided her with a loving atmosphere at home and she also had a sister who loved her as well. There were still times, however, when she struggled in life and she was even rejected by her father.

Since she was raised in a loving household, however, she grew up to be a very loving woman. It was easy to see in her lively personality.

Tommy was born in 1958 and was an only child. When he was 12 years old, he became an orphan and he grew up in a care home in Essex. He did have delayed development because of a lack of a support system, and he didn’t care much for his physical appearance.

When the two of them met in 1990, they were working in a kitchen in a training home for disabled individuals. He was 32 and she was 19 at the time.

It was easy to see how Maryanne felt about Tommy because she would absolutely light up when she spoke about him. They shared a number of common interests, such as music, cooking, movies, and doing craftwork.

Tommy also loved Elvis Pressley and the two of them would dance together on a regular basis. He would also let her know how much he loved her, and eventually, the family got accustomed to having him around.

18 months after they started dating, he proposed to her and asked her mother for permission to marry her daughter. The mother didn’t hesitate, she gave her blessings right away.

Other people, however, were not quite so positive about the idea of the two of them getting married. Some said that she wasn’t ready for it and some even asked about their sex life.

Despite the fact that they were criticized openly, they got married in 1995. 250 people came to the wedding, which was a fairytale for them.

They lived together with her family for seven years before moving into their own apartment next door. Her sister also moved along with them.

They have a very strong bond because he listens carefully when she speaks. There is never any type of hidden agenda and they love each other with their whole hearts.

Unfortunately, Tommy was hospitalized in 2020 after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and then got COVID. Due to his declining health, he passed away. That was on January 1, 2021.

When the news was broken to her, she seemed to understand but still was a little confused about the situation. We are just glad that they had almost 30 years together, and they loved each other till the end.

A woman discovered a wallet containing a letter from 60 years ago and decided to track down its owner

A woman came across a wallet while sweeping the street and decided to track its owner and return it. The events that followed were intriguing, to say the least.

Sandra was a young woman whose fate had never been on her side. She had been orphaned at a young age and had lost her family in a car accident, leaving her traumatized for a long time.

As time went on, she somehow sympathized with her destiny and started looking for means to support herself. But sadly, the only job that she could manage to get was that of a street sweeper. The job didn’t pay well, but she could at least afford a place to live and three meals a day.

As Sandra started cleaning the road one day, she saw a wallet lying at the edge of the road. Out of curiosity, she stopped sweeping and began investigating its contents. She discovered that the wallet was mostly empty, with only a few dollars and a letter that appeared to have been read several times a day for years.

On the torn envelope of the letter, everything was blurred out except for the return address. She cautiously opened it, taking care not to tear the delicate paper, and discovered that it had been written in 1959. A 60-year-old letter? It must have been quite special to the owner, she wondered.

Some words in the letter had faded, but Sandra could thankfully read most of it.

“Dear Lewis,” the letter began. “My mother forbade me to meet and said that you and I could not be together, but I want you to know that I love you. Love, Nancy Ar…” Unfortunately, the paper was torn at the edge, and Sandra could not read it.

Thinking that it was pretty special for its owner, Sandra decided to track him down and return it. She went to the phone exchange operator to inquire about the phone number indicated with the return address and was soon connected to someone who lived there.

“Hello, my name is Sandra. May I speak to Nancy?”

“I’m sorry but no one by the name of Nancy lives here,” the woman on the line replied.

“Actually, maybe you can help me. I found a wallet and wanted to return it to its owner. There was a letter inside the wallet and I got this phone number from the return address on the letter, so I assumed the person who wrote the letter lived there.” Sandra explained. “The woman’s name is Nancy.”

“Are you talking about Nancy Arnolds?” the woman inquired.

“Well, I’m not sure if her last name is Arnolds, but I think it’s her. Do you have her contact information or know where I might be able to find her?” Sandra inquired.

“Actually, we bought the house from her mother 20 years ago. She was staying at a nursing home then. If you want, I can give you the nursing home’s contact number; you can write it down.”

Sandra thanked the woman and immediately called the nursing home. There she was informed that Nancy’s mother had passed away, but her daughter was still alive and staying there.

Sandra quickly hired a cab and headed to the location. When she met Nancy and showed her the letter she had found, Nancy’s eyes welled up. “I can’t believe he has kept it safe until now. By the way, where did you find this?”

“Well, it was inside the wallet I found on the road. By any chance, do you recognize this?” Sandra showed the wallet.

“I don’t know about the wallet, but this letter, I wrote the letter for Lewis — Lewis Duncan,” Nancy said. “We met in college, and I wanted to marry him and start a family, but my mother was against it because, just like my father, Lewis was not well off. After my mom married my father, he began living off my mother’s wealth, and when mom objected, he threatened that he would harm me.”

“Mom resisted for a long time and then divorced him. Sadly, she never had a happy married life, and she feared the same would happen to me. As a result, she despised Lewis and my relationship. But if you find him, please let him know that I still love him and never married. I always hoped he’d come and find me, and I am still waiting.” Nancy burst into tears as she finished.

Sandra consoled her and promised she would find Lewis, but deep down, she was scared that wouldn’t happen. Nancy was the only way Sandra could contact him, but Nancy had no idea about him because she hadn’t seen him since she was transferred to the nursing home.

Dejected, Sandra left the nursing home and decided to drop the wallet at the police station, but as she stepped outside, the security guard interrupted her. “Are you Nancy’s relative?”

“No, actually…” Sandra began speaking when the guard interrupted her again. “Wait, isn’t that Mr. Duncan’s wallet?”

Sandra was taken aback. “Yes, it is! Do you know him?”

“Yes, he lives in the building next to the nursing home,” the guard replied. “The man is pretty old and keeps misplacing his wallet. Actually, don’t tell Nancy, but he frequently visits just to see her. That’s how I know him.”

Sandra’s happiness knew no bounds when she heard that, she went to Mr. Duncan and returned the wallet. He was glad that the letter was safe.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Duncan, but I read that letter,” Sandra admitted shyly. “And I have a question if you don’t mind me asking.”

Mr. Duncan smiled warmly at her. “Ask anything, young lady. You returned the most valuable item to me. I don’t mind if the wallet was lost, but the letter is very close to my heart.”

“Then why don’t you meet Miss Arnolds? The guard told me everything. She couldn’t stop crying when she saw the letter. Do you know that she never married and has been waiting for the day she’ll meet you again?”

Mr. Duncan’s eyes almost welled up. He said he was devastated when he received this letter and resolved that he would never marry anyone because he loved Nancy. However, he had no idea that Nancy wasn’t married either.

Sandra took him to her and left them alone for a while. They cried and hugged, and Sandra’s eyes welled up when she saw them like that. It brought back memories of how she and her husband Edward met. She sobbed as she walked out of the nursing home.

A year later, she received a wedding invitation. It was an invite to Nancy and Lewis’ wedding.

What can we learn from this story?

Matches are made in heaven. Nancy and Lewis were destined to be together, and that is exactly what happened.
Some accidents are beautiful. Sandra found the wallet accidentally and returned it to the owner. Eventually, it led to the reunion of two lovers.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

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