Photo courtesy of Edgemere.

Don and Lorne Spies tied the knot on February 9, 2018, when they met at Edgemere Senior Living. They celebrated their fifth anniversary this month.

But that’s not when they first met.

In 1971, they lived in the same neighborhood in Northwood Hills when they were 36. Both ebbed through their own life with different spouses and children before meeting again.

“There was a new neighborhood group with new people moving in,” Don said. “We just happened to be in one of the sessions where we met in the 70s’.”

It was one of those coincidences in life that only happens a few times when they re-met at Edgemere. In 2015, following the passing of his wife, Don moved into Edgemere, with Lorne joining him in 2018. On her first night there, Don took her to dinner to catch up after all these years.

“Don made it perfectly clear that if we were at the same dinner table often, people would think of us as a couple,” Lorne said. “He said ‘I’m never going to get married again.’ I thought to myself, ‘Oh my word, how could he say that?’”

Being together often turned out not to be a huge problem for the two. Lorne, who went on daily walks with a group at 6:15 a.m., told Don that was something she enjoyed. Don, who used to run, said he could walk with her.

One dinner turned into several meals and the daily walks turned into a ritual. And 11 months later, they got married in front of their friends and family. Neither expected to fall in love let alone marry again.

“One thing led to another and we fell in love. It didn’t take very long before I was discussing with Lorne about getting together and she said ‘Well, you haven’t asked me to marry you yet’,” Don said. “That day, I’d bought a ring for her and gave it to her the next week. She said yes.”

Now, both 89, have found love again in the most uncertain but warm circumstances. Their advice? Laugh together, never go to bed upset and give love a chance – or a second chance, in their case.

“This was certainly something that was totally unexpected,” Don said. “If we had shut the door, I think it would’ve been a big mistake. Keep the door open and you never know what’s likely to happen.”