In the Irish culture, mothers are often seen as sources of wisdom, sharing nuggets of knowledge wherever they go. This was true for Hannah Daly, the late mother of famed British musician, Kate Bush. Prior to moving from her family’s farm in Waterford, Ireland, to start a nursing career in England, Hannah was frequently recognised for her insightful intelligence. One of her famous pearls of wisdom – “Every old sock meets an old shoe” greatly amused her daughter, Kate, who eventually incorporated it into her song titled “Moments of Pleasure”, referencing her mother as well.
Kate mentioned in her interview with BBC Radio 2, that her mother found it quite amusing when she heard the song, unable to contain her laughter upon hearing the phrase in it.
However, Hannah’s influence on her daughter’s music didn’t end there. In another song, Kate channels a scenario many can relate to- the startling experience of waking up to see a child silently staring at them in the middle of the night. Hannah’s comforting line of “Come here with me now”, which she would say to a frightened young Kate, who would silently stand by her parents’ bed following a nightmare, was featured in the latter’s song “And Dream of Sheep”.
Hannah was seen as a beacon of wisdom in her daughter’s eyes, with her advice about every individual having a suitable partner being particularly poignant.
And sometimes, like socks and shoes, individuals may need to travel great distances to find their perfect match. This was the case for Linda and John, two residents at the Lakes at Stillwater senior living campus in Minnesota, who met under unusual circumstances during the global Covid-19 vaccine rollout a few years back. They were just two strangers standing in a queue, awaiting their turn to receive the vaccine.
In compliance with social distancing regulations, Linda positioned herself on the designated blue dot. Suddenly, she felt an unusual change in her surroundings – a sensation she described as “a shift in the universe”. Given that she hadn’t yet had the vaccine, she couldn’t attribute it to any side effects. To her surprise, John appeared, moving to stand on the neighbouring blue circle.
In spite of all the social distancing signs, the elderly couldn’t remain separate for long. They were relocated to a hall for post-vaccination observation for 15 minutes to monitor for any reactions. What ensued – an instantaneous and robust reaction – was unrelated to the vaccine. They had both come down with a severe case of being smitten.
The following year they were wed in the same hall where their shared journey began. For keepsake, they framed the blue circle Linda had initially occupied.
A unique “How We Met” narrative is always a winner, rather than the cliché of meeting at a disco with slow dance sets, where a nightclub licence oddity resulted in complimentary chicken and chips.
An exceptional such story unravelled this summer when the Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise ship, was docked in Belfast for a four-month stint. The ship’s residents, who spend up to 15 years traversing the globe, were stuck due to this unfortunate grounding.
While waiting to set sail, some decided to return home. But two passengers, Canadian Gian Perroni and American Angie Harsanyi, chose to occupy their time exploring Belfast. It was during these explorations, walking from ship to city, that their romance blossomed. Their ship was destined to be stationary, but their love was full steam ahead. They plan to be wed in April.
Perhaps they visited Belfast’s famous Titanic Museum, invoking memories of the iconic love story between Jack and Rose. The fate of Titanic and Jack’s tragic death clinging to a floating wreckage in the icy water while Rose survived might have presented a poignant reminder of their circumstance. We can only hope that the happy couple was more focused on the romantic gesture, than the ship’s ominous end.