This year, my nonna and papa, Maria and Norman Leo, celebrated a truly special milestone in the most charming way. Married for 64 years, they decided to dress up as a bride and groom for the Halloween party at their senior living home. The sight of them, still full of life and laughter, captured the hearts of everyone present.

The humor in the story lies in the fact that when they first married, they didn’t even know what Halloween was. My nonna had moved to America in her early 20s from Italy, where Halloween wasn’t celebrated, and her only concern had been not marrying in November because of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day—she feared it would bring bad luck.

Their story began on a simple Friday during the Lenten season. My nonna, then a young waitress at a local restaurant, noticed a man who seemed unsure about what to order. That man was my papa. With her warm, no-nonsense approach, she asked him two questions that would change both of their lives:

“Are you Italian?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Are you Catholic?”

“Yes,” he answered again.

Then she told him, “Then you can’t have meat. It’s Friday. You’ll have the mac and cheese.”

And just like that, over a simple plate of mac and cheese, my papa got my nonna—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, at 91 years old, and with their birthdays just 12 days apart, they are still going strong and will turn 92 this December. Their 64-year marriage has produced five children, sixteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and an abundance of love that continues to grow with each passing day.

When asked the secret to a long-lasting marriage, my papa simply says, “Try to get along and do whatever the wife wants. A lot of men think they’re the boss, but she’s the boss.”

It’s easy to see why their love has endured decades of life’s ups and downs. Their story is a living testament to devotion, patience, and the joy of growing together. We are beyond blessed to still have them with us, to witness firsthand a love so unconditional, so true, and so inspiring that it lights up every room they enter.

Maria and Norman’s journey reminds us all that true love isn’t just in grand gestures—it’s in the small acts of care, the laughter shared, and the unwavering commitment to one another, day after day, year after year.