Ah, love….The star-crossed passion of young Romeo and Julietâ?¦The tedious on-and-off again saga of Angelina and Bradâ?¦The heroic Odysseus and faithful Penelopeâ?¦And the sturdy affection of Mary and Gary Dobbs, Madison grandparents about to celebrate their 38th Valentines Day Sunday as a married couple â?? and their 11th year together beating cancer.
The Dobbsâ?? romance may not be the stuff of Shakespeare, legends or tabloids. But the strength of bonds like theirs is celebrated around the world in medical journals, which find over and over again that married people are healthier and survive illness at significantly higher rates than those who are widowed, divorced, or, worse, going through a stressful separation.