Page 56 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2023 - Online Magazine
P. 56
Our
LOVE STORY
Dr. Johnny and Diane Qubty
by Diane Qubty
ike all young girls, I had a was a young man and never been kissed, love all these things about him. We
fairy tale version of how love I got to thinkin’ it over how much I got engaged just before he graduated
Land marriage should be. But a missed, so I got me a girl and I kissed her from high school and married in
lifelong commitment is much more and then, o lordy, well I kissed her again August 1978, one week after Johnny
difficult than just “happily ever ….” It appeared I had caught his eye turned 18; I was 19. “Well, I asked
after.” Life is not a fairy tale. as well. her to marry and be my sweet wife, told
her we’d be so happy for the rest of our
I grew up in the small town Johnny had spent eight of his life….”
of Happy. I loved God and my 15 years in Israel. His dad was
friends and family and spent my from Nazareth, and Johnny loved A week later, he started at West
time daydreaming, writing poetry, spending time there. He had climbed Texas State University, and I started
plowing for my dad, and playing pomegranate trees and played near to work. We had plans. Johnny
sports. When I walked into his mom Mary’s well. He had already lived wanted to be a doctor. His dreams
and stepdad’s café to apply for a in many places and dealt with his became my dreams, but we had a
waitress job the summer of 1975, I parents’ divorce. He had always long “row to hoe”! Our “honeymoon
noticed Johnny right away. My first been treated as an adult, always told cottage” was a tiny one-room house
thought was how handsome he was. he would be a doctor, and always that we rented for $75 a month. My
worked. dad found us an ugly old Plymouth
One of Johnny’s favorite songs is Valiant. Ten dollars often had to last
“Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”: “When I As we worked together that summer, a week. We “lived on love” because
I fell in love. He was intelligent and we didn’t have much else.
respectful to his mom. He was a
hard worker and a natural athlete. We both wanted a big family, and
He was attentive and romantic. I still happily, a couple of years into our
marriage, I found myself pregnant.
We were thrilled. At 36 weeks,
the doctor scheduled a sonogram.
I’ll never forget the technician’s
question, “Do you want me to tell
you if there are two in there?”
Johnny was working as a janitor
at an elementary school nearby.
When I told my young husband the
news, he jumped for joy. That fella
in Johnny’s favorite song had started
Diane's family Johnny and his grandfather, then with twins. We had passed the first
Mayor of Nazareth (Israel) and second verses and were headed
56 Lubbock Senior Link
