The Garlands Exhibits 'Commitment: Stories of Lasting Love'

The Garlands of Barrington, an award-winning, continuing-care retirement community, celebrates its 10th Anniversary and commitment to the community with a tribute to its members’ in a photographic narrative exhibit entitled "Commitment: Stories of Lasting Love."  

The exhibit features inspiring stories of Garlands members’ kept vows, love and devotion that span a lifetime, offering a rare, intimate glimpse at lasting love.  The show will be on display at The Gallery at The Garlands, 1000 Garlands Lane, Barrington, from Valentine’s Day through the end of April.

The exhibit’s portraits, taken by photographer Brian Warling, and short stories, as told by husbands and wives and written by Kathy Wolf and Mary Klest, feature 16 perspectives representing 823 years—and counting—of commitment! 

The stories take unpredictable twists and turns, like the one about the New York City girl and the German country boy who write to each other as international pen pals then meet in Germany where they fall in love while motorcycling together through Bavaria’s Black Forest—the first of a lifetime of adventures.

They include high school sweethearts, chance encounters, rekindled hearts and brief courtships that led to a 57-year marriage (“Bailing wasn’t an option!  If I had to do it all over again, I’d still pick you!”).  There is a couple whose most heroic claim-to-fame after 58 years of wedded bliss is successfully surviving the ‘60s with teens, and a widower whose love lingers on through poetry (“Life is more than what we planned . . . We saw how love could blossom and then we made it grow.”).

“It’s an honor and privilege to capture and share our members’ precious memories, living examples and sage advice on the theme of commitment,” says Dawn L. Kempf, The Garlands vice president of sales and marketing.  “As this is our 10th Anniversary, we are humbled by the many anniversaries our members have celebrated and so pleased that they chose to continue to live their well-lived lives with us here at The Garlands.” 

Commitment:  Stories of Lasting Love is free and open to the public daily from February 14,  through the end of April from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as part The Garlands ongoing 10th Anniversary celebration. If you have any questions, please call 847-304-1996.

The Garlands is a unique continuing care retirement community for people ages 55 and older that provides residents an uncompromising lifestyle in a resort setting with on-site assisted and nursing care as needed. For more information about The Garlands, please visit the website at www.TheGarlands.com.

This news release was submitted by The Garlands.