And now, a love story in two parts…
Christine Berro and Andy Keeler came to record in 2007… just a few months after their wedding.
For both, it was a second marriage.
Each had lost a partner in the years before…
Transcript TRT: []
Tape TRT: 1:32
Christine Berro (CB): What was the saddest moment of your life?
Andy Keeler (AK): I hate this. I have to look you in the eye when I do this. Seeing Jan die. You know, she was the person that I thought that I was gonna live with forever, love forever. It’s strange, but the things you miss most are small things. Cold feet on your back in the middle of the night, and you go, oh man, I wish she was here.
What about you?
CB: After Emil died and the kids went back to school, the first night I was home alone in my house was pretty tough.
AK: I’ve thought a lot about what is love and what does it mean to me, you know? I mean, you had love to begin with. Why wasn’t that good enough? Because I almost thought that it was for me.
CB: Well, I kind of thought like you did for a while too. But, I think love is limitless. I was lonely… I wanted someone to put my cold feet in their back.
Your life with Jan, and my life with Emil, got us to where we are. We’re intertwined and it’s a beautiful gift.
AK: I think at this point I’m supposed to say, shut up and kiss me.
CB: That would be nice.
HOST: In 2023, Christine and Andy recorded again…
Tape TRT: 1:22
AK: Is there anything about me that surprised you a little bit?
CB: It’s an easy answer for me.
AK: Oh, alright.
CB: The answer is how well you take care of me.
AK: That surprised you?
CB: The depth of how well you take care of me.
AK: Hmm.
CB: In what moments do you think about Jan?
AK: This time of year, I think about her constantly.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and that’s very near when she died. I’m still no treat to be around in the month of November.
CB: I have similar things with Emil.
AK: His birthday’s coming up.
CB: Yeah, just a few days. But I feel like I know Jan. I may have never physically met her. But I feel like I know her pretty well.
AK: Emil and Jan, in a way, had the hard part. It was Jan’s job to take the rough edges off me. All I can tell you is I love you. And I want to love you. Just a minute more. And a minute after that.
CB: It’s a deal.
BACK ANNOUNCE:
Christine Berro and Andy Keeler in Portage, Michigan.