22 Aug Happiness comes from knowing that good things happen
Once again, I bring you an interesting story from Gimundo.com that reinforces my belief that good things do happen every day and that happiness, in part, comes from focusing on these positive events.
I hope reading this story brings you some happiness or at the very least, stimulates some thought (which is, in itself, also good for happiness).
Former Criminals Find Love and Redemption
We usually give you a variety of stories based on a theme. But we found this story so compelling and moving that it stands on its own. And then below, we’ve added links to our most popular stories as of late. Enjoy!
As the music plays, Donnie Andrews stands alone at the altar, waiting for the woman he loves to walk down the aisle. After the long procession, he lifts her veil and takes her trembling hands in his. They share their vows, exchange rings and finally, come together in a passionate embrace, married at last.
For Andrews, 53, and Fran Boyd, 50, their August 11th wedding day in Baltimore was a long time coming. Years ago, this picture-perfect moment would have been unimaginable to either one of them – Andrews is a convicted murderer and Boyd is a former heroin addict. But in spite of their dark pasts, their love has served as a driving force and inspiration, leading the two former criminals to redemption.
David Simon and Edward Burns, who were collaborating on a true-crime book, introduced the unlikely couple in 1993. While interviewing Boyd about her drug activities, the writers decided that she needed a mentor who could help her get clean. So they put her in touch with Andrews, whose criminal past had served as inspiration for The Wire, a gritty HBO crime show created by Simon. While serving time for murder, Andrews had finally turned his life around – he was earning a GED and studying the Bible, making a firm commitment to avoid the street life if he ever got out of prison..
When Andrews called Boyd for the first time, “I could hear in her voice that she wanted help,” he told The New York Times. ‘she was looking for a way out.” With Andrews’ guidance, she found it.
Even when Boyd believed that she was too weak to overcome her heroin addiction, Andrews “kept giving me reasons why I should be doing something else, saying that if he can change, I can change,” she said.
Thanks to Andrews’ constant reassurance, Boyd found the courage to check into a rehabilitation facility. Within the next few years, she built her life back up, doing outreach work for drug addicts and becoming a guardian to two nieces and a nephew. All the while, her relationship with Andrews grew stronger – they spoke on the phone and exchanged letters constantly and Boyd traveled across the country to visit Andrews in his Arizona prison as often as she could.
At last, in 2005, Andrews was set free. A full 12 years after their first phone call, the couple could finally begin their lives together. Their wedding day serves as a celebration, not only of their future together, but of how far they’ve come.
“Everything has a second act and a third act,” said The Wire creator David Simon, who served as the couple’s best man. “And everybody gets to write their endings.”