Joe and Ann met in 1964Joe was a young soldier on leave, and Ann was a nurse at the local hospital, working tirelessly to tend to the men who came home battered and bruised. One afternoon, they happened to sit next to each other on a rickety bench in a small park by the hospital. Joe, looking down at his boots, noticed a young woman with kind eyes and a quiet smile reading a book beside him. They struck up a conversation about the book, and Joe felt like he’d been swept away to another world, far from the war and all its chaos.
The very next day, Joe had to leave for deployment again, but before he did, they arranged to meet on that same bench, no matter where life took them. Miraculously, they both survived the war, and when Joe returned, he found Ann waiting for him on that bench, a familiar sparkle in her eyes. They shared a lifetime together, raising a family, building a home, and creating a love that would endure the tests of time.
When they retired at age 55, they made it their tradition to return to that very park every single day, to sit together on their bench. Rain or shine, they’d be there, side by side, sharing stories, laughing, or just holding hands in comfortable silence. As the years went on, people in the town started calling it “Joe and Ann’s Bench.” Young couples would stop and smile at the sight of them, seeing the kind of love they hoped to grow into one day.
Their lives were filled with seasons of change—new grandkids, old friends passing, aches and pains that came with age—but that bench stayed the same. To them, it was more than a spot in the park; it was a witness to their love story, to all the memories they’d shared there.
Now, at 100 years old, they still meet at that bench every day. Joe helps Ann with her coat, and Ann straightens Joe’s hat before they sit. They often laugh about how old they’ve gotten, and every once in a while, Ann will lean her head on Joe’s shoulder like she did in the early days. Sometimes they’re silent for long stretches, but in that silence, they feel the weight of the love they’ve built together, rich with a thousand unspoken words.
When people ask them the secret to staying in love for so long, Joe always winks and says, “Just find someone you want to sit with, forever.” Ann always smiles at him when he says this, knowing he still means it with his whole heart.
Elvis Presley’s grandson takes the stage and shows his talent. He even looks like his legendary grandfather
Dakota Striplin stands out on the music show “The Voice” by saying that he is the grandson of Dr. Elvis Presley, who was known as “The King of Rock and Roll.” He sings a new version of “Love Me Tender” to both the crowd and the judges on “The Voice.” Each note makes them think of his rumored ancestry.
Everyone in the room is mesmerized by Dakota as soon as he starts to play his guitar and sing with his angelic voice. Deeply moved, the judge quickly turned her chair around and put her hand on her chest. Someone else, unable to turn down the appeal of his show, says:
She quickly flips her chair to show that she agrees, saying, “I have to see what’s going on here.” At the end of the song, the judges are blown away by how well he can sing and play the instruments.
The judges want to know why he chose that song and how it came about. Dakota says that for a long time, Elvis Presley has been an influence to him. As he talks about his family history, he mentions that his grandma loved going to see Elvis perform. This leads to the joke that he might be related to the King, which makes the judges laugh as they talk about how much they look alike.
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