Meet Deborah and Chris from Western New York

Some love stories take the long way home. For Deborah and Chris, it started as teenagers in the 1970s, during a fleeting summer that neither of them would ever forget. Deborah was born in Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of an Air Force military father. Her childhood was defined by frequent moves—13 different schools in total. “It was challenging,” she recalled, “but also rewarding in a lot of ways. I got to see incredible places.” One of the most memorable was Okinawa, where her family lived on the Air Force base when she was 11. Her father had gone ahead of them and didn’t meet her baby brother until he was six months old. The military life was unpredictable and often difficult, especially during high school. Deborah said, “Those are such formative years. During my high school years I changed high schools three different times. I longed for stability.” Eventually, Deborah’s parents finally decided to leave the military. That summer of change brought her and her family to stay with her aunt, in a small town in upstate New York, while her parents searched for a permanent home. Just across the street from her aunt’s house lived a teenage boy named Chris—a small-town kid whose life had been rooted in the same quiet community for as long as he could remember. His childhood summers often included trips to Howe Caverns, a family tradition. One quiet afternoon, he happened to glance across the street—and saw the girl who would change everything. “It was the ’70s, and my hair was longer back then,” he laughed. “I saw her sitting on the porch and thought, I need to go meet her.” The two spent two summers together, building a strong connection and foundation in that short window of time. When Deborah’s family finally bought a home 40 miles away, everything changed. Without cell phones and with long-distance calls being too expensive, staying in touch became nearly impossible. That didn’t stop Chris from trying. One day he decided to ride his bicycle 40 miles one way just to see her. But Deborah’s father, strict and protective, came outside and chased him off saying, “Get that long-haired hippie out of my driveway!” When Chris finally got his license and a vehicle, he tried again, but was greeted the same exact way by her father. I was so embarrassed,” Deborah remembered. “But that was my dad. I wasn’t allowed to date.” Eventually, they both went their separate ways—living full lives, marrying other people, yet always carrying the memory of one another. Then, nearly 40 years later, fate stepped in again. Deborah, working at a local tax office, instantly recognized a familiar face—Chris’s brother. The first year, she stayed quiet. She said, “At that time in my life, I had sworn off men and I didn’t have the courage to ask Chris’s brother how he was doing. During the following year, I found myself regretted not having asked. During the next tax season, when his brother came in, I mustered up the courage to ask him how Chris was doing.” That question changed everything. The message got passed along, and just like that, after nearly four decades of silence, the two reconnected. Their first date? A motorcycle ride. Something that has solidified their bond, quite literally. They were married on the Fourth of July, in the very town where their story first began. In a quiet corner of the local park, surrounded by friends, family, and the memories of summers long past—they said their vows on their motorcycle. It wasn’t just a ride—it was a symbol of the road they had both traveled to find their way back to each other. Just days before visiting Howe Caverns, they returned from Laconia Bike Week—the oldest motorcycle event in the country—celebrating not just their love of the open road, but ten years of marriage and a lifetime of rediscovered connection. So why Howe Caverns for their anniversary? For Chris, it was a return to the place that helped shape his childhood summers. For Deborah, it was deeply personal—her grandmother had honeymooned here in the 1930s. “It just felt meaningful,” she said. “This place holds history—not just ours, but generations of it.” Their advice after all these years? “Life’s too short to hold onto anger,” Deborah shared. “Most of it comes from pain. And when you’re in a relationship, you have to move through it—gently, and quickly. Forgive right away. Never go to bed angry. Money isn’t worth fighting over; you can’t take it with you. What you do take with you are the memories and the love.” Thank you, Deborah and Chris, for sharing your beautiful journey—and for celebrating your 10th anniversary with us at Howe Caverns.