Meet Mike and Linda from Glenville, NY

On October 8th, 20 years ago, they were married here in the cave! Linda’s 12 year old son, Adam was their Best Man. Mike is originally from Texas. Linda is originally from western New York. They met in March 1996 at a Moose convention. The Moose, also known as the Loyal Order of Moose (LOOM), is a fraternal service organization that supports children, seniors, and communities. While they are both retired now, Mike was an IT program manager at an aircraft facility. He is also a licensed pilot. Linda’s career, as a kindergarten teacher, allowed her the freedom to work anywhere. They chose to make Texas their home until Mike could find work in New York. When they finally moved to New York, Mike said that he had never seen anything like upstate before. With every season change, he was in awe of all its beauty. Linda retired from teaching three years ago. Thirty days after she retired, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. One morning she woke up and couldn’t move. They immediately sought help. The diagnosis hit them hard. Mike joked, that he married younger so she could take care of him in their golden years. The scariest part for them is that they do it all alone as their families do not live close. While it was hard in the beginning, they now have a good routine and good resources. Linda is on a regimen where she can live a relatively normal life. These days, to get him out of the house and to give Linda a break from him, Mike is a volunteer fireman and EMT in the community where they live. The couple said that coming back to visit the cave near their anniversary date gives them the opportunity for the to appreciate how far they have come together. When I asked them what they wanted to tell the world, they said, “We have hope for the future and future generations. It is important to maintain optimism. We believe in being open-minded and having situational awareness about our changing environments.” Thank you Mike & Linda for coming back, 20 years later to share your story with us! Happiest of anniversaries to you!