For Patsy Weider, chess is an essential part of life. When she found herself without a partner one day, she asked if any of her fellow residents at StoryPoint Pickerington played chess. Bill Weider responded: “I do.”
That wouldn’t be the last time Bill said those words to Patsy.
From then on, Bill and Patsy played a game of chess every day, becoming closer and closer all the while. As their connection grew stronger, they started taking walks around StoryPoint and running errands together.
“We developed this great camaraderie,” Patsy says. “We became so close.”
After a year of daily chess games, on April 21, 2021 Bill asked Patsy to marry him.
Upon hearing the news, Tyese Baker, director of engagement and enrichment at StoryPoint, excitedly organized a bridal shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and a wedding ceremony.
She says the StoryPoint residents were thrilled to be a part of the festivities and many helped make shirts for the engagement photos.
All of StoryPoint’s residents, as well as Bill and Patsy’s families, attended the wedding, held at StoryPoint’s outdoor gazebo.
Following the wedding, Bill and Patsy set off on a honeymoon to Patsy’s home state of Oregon, where she was able to show Bill the home she grew up in.
When the couple returned to Pickerington, they moved into one apartment within StoryPoint. As any married couple knows, life isn’t always easy after marriage. Patsy says they’ve struggled to get to bed before 1 a.m. – only because they can’t stop talking and laughing.
Around the apartment, Bill and Patsy always find ways to help each other out.
“If I’m straightening the bed, he’s right there to help me,” Patsy says. “He is a kind man.”
Health Benefits
In addition to never needing to worry about finding a chess partner, Bill and Patsy’s relationship comes with added health benefits as well.
A Mayo Clinic study exploring the effects of being socially connected found that socializing combats feelings of loneliness, helps sharpen memory and cognitive skills, and increases one’s overall sense of happiness and well-being. Especially for older adults, socialization ensures that their brains remain stimulated.
Writing for Medical News Today, psychologist Susan Pinker says face-to-face contact is like a vaccine as it triggers parts of the nervous system to release neurotransmitters that regulate responses to stress and anxiety. She also emphasizes the importance of social relationships in encouraging healthy habits. Being around other people encourages us to maintain a healthy lifestyle and be mindful of our eating and exercise.
That can be seen in the Weiders’ relationship, from chess to daily walks around StoryPoint’s grounds, each holds the other accountable for their physical health.
None of that drove the couple together, though. At the heart of things, Bill and Pasty’s story is about love.
“We’ve put this life together, the two of us,” she says, “and it’s a wonderful a life.”
Megan Roth is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mroth@cityscenemediagroup.com.
