Letter to the Editor: Remembering Sterling Forest 50 years later

Approaching the celebration of fifty years of marriage with my husband, I find myself reminiscing about the early days of our relationship and the places that became part of our story.

One memory that has stayed with me through the decades was a date we took to Sterling Forest in the early 1970s. At that time, it was not yet a state park, but was known for the beauty of Sterling Forest Gardens before the land officially became Sterling Forest State Park in 1998.

The drive from Queens, New York, felt very long, with endless bridges and highways leading us to this peaceful place surrounded by nature. Yet now, looking back after fifty years of marriage, I realize that the length of the trip was never really the important part. What mattered were the conversations we shared along the way, learning about one another, listening, laughing, and discovering how to keep each other interested long before cell phones and distractions filled our lives.

Today, that memory feels even more meaningful knowing the land was preserved for futuregenerations. When my family visits Sterling Forest State Park, the beauty of the forest and the story of that long car ride will become part of the legacy and storytelling I leave behind.

Proof that we made it through the hills and valleys of life together is this photograph of us sittingtogether, fifty years ago. And our story with memories of youth, love, endurance, and a lifetime shared together.

Ann Wax, R.N.
Queens, N.Y.