Fire, loss, flowers, and a wedding!
These two stories tell of nonagenarians who have recovered from personal loss to continue living their best lives.
The Los Angeles wildfires catastrophically destroyed lives and property. Videos of aged care home residents being hurriedly evacuated from their fire-threatened facilities were among the images of tragedy beamed around the world.
Many residents who fled LA have pledged never to return. However, 93-year-old Eric Back, who lost everything in the Pacific Palisades fires, has gone globally viral on social media and TV sharing his intention to rebuild the family home, and expressing his deep love for his late wife.
The destruction of the house was devastating enough, but like many fire victims, Back had to leave so much behind, including physical memories of his wife of 67 years, Rose, who died two-and-a-half years ago at the age of 90.
The couple met in their homeland of Germany when they were both 17. They moved to the United States in the 1950s and got married, moving into their dream house almost exactly 60 years ago.
Eric says the first time they met, they danced. “We kept dancing. We kept dancing until we were 90 years old. Every Saturday night, we went dancing, ballroom dancing. We enjoyed it,” he said.
Despite losing nearly everything, Eric’s words reveal a deep gratitude for the life he’s lived and the relationships he continues to cherish.
When asked about the legacy he hopes to leave behind, Eric’s answer was as uplifting as it was simple.
“My life is not gone. It’s amazing. I have five great-grandchildren, so there’s a lot to look forward to as they grow up. I just want to continue being around and seeing them grow.”
You can watch the TV news report on Eric here or the Instagram post here (ignore the log in request and just click on the background image and take the audio in the bottom right corner off silent.)
“A flower girl spreads petals and sets the stage for love, growth and commitment, which my grandma has done for me my whole life,” says bride Katie Lopus.
Her grandma is 98-year-old widow Frances, who warmed the hearts of the wedding guests to tears as she made her way down the aisle as the flower girl.
Frances, elegantly dressed and steadying herself with her walker, beamed as she scattered white rose petals, laying a path of petals for her granddaughter.
After the wedding, Frances told her granddaughter that being her flower girl made her feel like she was “in seventh heaven”.
“When I was walking down the aisle, I kept thinking to myself, I hope I’m doing this right and throwing enough petals!” she added.
Wedding guests noted that Frances was “beaming” and grateful to be a part of the ceremony. They also said it was special to witness such a meaningful moment.
It was early 2024 when Katie asked her grandmother to be her flower girl on her big day in September.
“She opened a box of rose petals with a notecard saying, ‘Will you be my flower girl?’” Katie recalls. “She immediately broke into the biggest smile and started laughing. She replied, ‘Are you kidding? Oh, that’s cute, I’d be happy to be your flower girl.’”
Frances then went into action by throwing the couple an engagement party in Naples, Florida. She invited all of her friends, who are also in their 90s and were “the life of the party”.
“She’s lived almost a century and seen so much, but she doesn’t let the dark moments overshadow the bright, and that’s what has helped her live to be 98 years young,” Katie said.
“She’s a shining light and you’ll never catch her missing a game of bridge, sipping mocktails, and dinner dates with her different groups of girlfriends.”
Katie and her “Grammy” have been best friends for as long as she can remember.
“As I was becoming a woman, she was having a rebirth of her own, in a new chapter without my grandfather, so it felt like we went through girlhood together,” she says. “Her journey through womanhood has helped shape mine. We have a relationship where we always tell the truth, share our wisdoms, and while we are family, we’re best friends.”
Related reading: Instagram, WBTV, People, HelloCare
