Open Mic

The Solomon brothers, Barry and Lawrence, grew up together in Dallas during the 1930s and 40s. By 1948, Barry was 21 and had already been a turret gunner in a torpedo plane in WWII, while Lawrence had just turned 15. Being six years younger, Lawrence didn’t get much advice from Barry—especially about girls and dating. But Barry’s advice on one occasion fanned a spark that would change Lawrence’s life forever—and forge an even stronger bond between the two brothers.

Barry’s heart was already aglow—he’d recently met a stunning young Dallas woman named Teresa on a blind date. The romantic attraction was mutual from the very first impressions.  The two now senior lovebirds shared their vivid recollections of that night—for the first time—as though it were yesterday instead of 63 years ago.  

“I just thought she was a knockout,” said Barry, still lively at 84. Teresa remembers Barry as “a very handsome young man with dark wavy hair. I was very happy to be going out with him.”  Their first date was on March 13, 1948, and they were married exactly one year later, to the day. But Barry wasn’t only thinking of himself. He’d also met Teresa’s little sister, Elaine, and passed on some brotherly information to Lawrence.

“Barry told me that Teresa had a kid sister and that I should call her for a date,” said Lawrence.  “The funny thing is that I already knew Elaine from school and really liked her.”  Barry doesn’t remember ever giving Lawrence the romantic tip.  But Elaine filled in the blanks on how they met, recalling their first meeting with laughter in her voice.

“The truth is, we had both been at a school party a of couple years earlier, where they were playing ‘spin the bottle’ and, yes, I got a kiss from Lawrence,” said Elaine. “I can’t say for sure he was the very first boy I ever kissed but he was certainly the only memorable one.”   It was memorable enough that she kept Lawrence clearly in mind.

Elaine admits to sitting on her friend’s front porch occasionally so she could wave at Lawrence as he went by on his paper route. Her friends like to joke that Lawrence “chased her until she caught him.” In time, a bit of age and a big brother’s advice opened his eyes to Elaine. Suddenly, calling her became a top priority for Lawrence.

“I invited her out to an evening band party—one that included a real hayride,” said Lawrence. “Something about riding that slow moving hay wagon under the moon and stars really brought our feelings for each other into focus. You could say it was love at first sight.”  Elaine agrees with that assessment—there was no looking back.

The love struck pair never seriously dated anyone else and were married on March 15, 1953—the “Ides of March” as Elaine likes to say. Barry and Teresa were in their wedding party as they had been for the older couple, at their wedding in 1949.

Some might think the two couples would have lived happily ever—their families intertwined in the local activities of the same city.  Although Barry and Teresa did remain in Dallas, Lawrence’s career in sales took him and Elaine away to West Texas and Louisiana. As a result, for about the next 30 years the two couples usually had to wait for holidays or major vacations to really catch up and let the cousins play together. 

Both couples had several children and—as the years rolled by— grandchildren came along. Family “get togethers” were becoming increasingly major projects, and Barry and Lawrence, along with their sibling brides, weren’t getting any younger.   As Elaine said, “It got to be like the Waltons, you could sneeze and 14 people would show up.” 

Upon retirement, Lawrence and Elaine moved back to Dallas. Not long afterwards, both couples decided to become Charter Members of The Legacy at Willow Bend in Plano, well before it was actually built. Barry and Teresa moved in first and encouraged Lawrence and Elaine to come share the fun. Barry’s advice proved golden once again. None of them could have imagined how ideal the new situation was to become for them.

These days, the two couples can share lunch or dinners daily, as well as invite the extended family in—as they did recently—for a private dining room experience.  They can share any and all of the community amenities, programs, and social events, while still having the privacy of apartments in different areas of the community.

“In fact, we have seen more of each other in the few years since The Legacy opened, than we had in the previous 30 years,” said Barry. Besides being close to one another, both couples have found that The Legacy at Willow Bend fits their lives in many ways.

“If Lawrence or I need to stay over at healthcare, the other can visit easily right here onsite,” said Elaine. “We never have to be separated if health needs come up. I can just walk right over to see him.”   Assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care services are right on site and included in their contract—to use if the need arises.

Lawrence said, “I love to meet new people. We had begun to feel isolated living in our own home, due to our age.  My son always says this place is like being on a cruise ship without having to drive to Galveston.”  Dining rooms, swimming pools, spas and many other amenities offer a range of social interaction for senior residents.

“The food is great and so is the staff,” said Barry.  “But I also enjoy just not having to worry about setting out lawn sprinklers and wondering what happened to the roof after a big snowstorm.” All residents enjoy maintenance free living.

Interestingly, Barry’s involvement in barbershop quartets had allowed him to sing in retirement communities all over the area, and to experience them first hand. He insists that The Legacy at Willow Bend “is head and shoulders above them all.”

Perhaps most of all, the Solomons and their growing clan enjoy a place to visit together and celebrate the miracles of everyday life.  Already, their 2011 calendar is getting booked up as both couples celebrate their wedding anniversaries in March—62 years for Barry and Teresa, and 58 years for Lawrence and Elaine, who are also expecting the birth of twin great grandchildren in the same month!

All four Solomons seem glad that they chose The Legacy at Willow Bend as a setting to live out their later years together once again. Both couples share the memories and emotions of their early childhoods, the kind that only siblings and spouses know. It’s the legacy of their lifetimes—that began so many years ago—when two brothers fell in love with two sisters, in a place called Dallas. Cupid must be doubly proud.

The Legacy at Willow Bend, Plano’s first and only life care retirement community, is situated on a 28-acre site at Spring Creek Parkway between Preston Road and Ohio Drive. The Legacy at Willow Bend offers resort-style services and amenities for active, independent seniors, as well as all levels of health care services on-site. The community features 103 independent living apartment homes, 12 custom independent living villas, 40 assisted living apartment homes, 18 memory support suites, and 60 private skilled healthcare suites.

The Legacy at Willow Bend is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit retirement community owned by parent company, The Legacy Senior Communities, Inc. The Legacy at Willow Bend, the only Jewish-sponsored life care retirement community in Texas, is open to people of all faiths.  For information, call (972) 468-6208, or visit www.thelegacyWB.org.