After exchanging many letters, she finally made the journey to not only visit him but marry him.
He was drafted in Georgia, where their love story came full circle.
Their love developed into their teen years, but the draft called Lev, at age 18, to the army for three years. Svetlana lived in such extreme poverty that Lev organized a drive through his school to get her a warm winter coat. Little did Svetlana know, that was Lev's way of expressing his crush on her. Lev bullied Svetlana by pulling on her pigtails and making her do his homework. He was the popular guy from a wealthy family, and she was the sweet, studious girl who came from nothing. Both children of the war who survived the Holocaust as infants, Svetlana and Lev met as 14-year-old schoolchildren in Ukraine. They got married with a stranger as their witness in the country of Georgia. (As told by the couple’s daughter Tanya and granddaughter Emily) Svetlana and Lev have no photos from their wedding in 1961. Svetlana & Lev Married 59 years, currently living in Bensalem, PA. And it doesn't hurt that I've known my in-laws (on both sides!) my entire life. It's been a joy that our family friends are now officially family. In December we’ll have been married five years and just welcomed our son last September. Sparks flew, but we kept them a secret knowing it could be chaos if things crumbled, so we took the time to make sure we were both all in before telling our families. Andrew's wedding was the first night we truly got to enjoy each other not on a family vacation or around a dinner table. He's already going to be there, and he'll definitely dance with you and tell you look pretty.
I happened to be on vacation with my mom and Kevin's mom-did I mention Kevin’s mother is also my godmother?-and she casually said, Oh, just go with Kev. My brother Andrew was getting married-to one of my mom's other best friend's daughters, believe it or not-and I needed a date to the wedding. There was no way our paths would ever cross "like that," until they did. (Kevin's older brother Kyle befriended me to make sure I never felt excluded.) I always remember thinking, Oh, Kevin is cute, but we grew up in different suburbs, went to different schools, and lived very different lives. On our trips, Kevin and my only brother Andrew were the closest in age, so they bonded quickly. Growing up, our families went on countless trips to Disney World, the Rocky Mountains, and various campsites together. That's when Kevin and I entered the picture. Our moms became fast and dear friends as young working professionals in Chicago, and motherhood came at a similar time for them. (As told by Natalie) Our love story started well before either of us were actually born. Natalie & Kevin Married 5 years, currently living in Chicago.