Love from: Chet Atkins

After my divorce, Lauren was a source of stability, insight, and comfort to me. We shared many walks along Concord’s byways talking about life, politics, science, family and friends. There are no more gracious, genial, and generous friends that Lauren and Karen. They invited me to Martha’s Vineyard that Summer for the 4th of July week. Within hours of arriving in their home, I received an urgent call from a close friend telling me that he had arranged a blind date dinner with the perfect woman for me and at Lauren’s urging, I turned around and went back to Boston that evening for the dinner. The next day I arrived back on Martha’s Vineyard and immediately faced intense questioning from both Lauren and Karen. After a few moments, Lauren and Karen in near unison told me that I needed to invite the woman down to Martha’s Vineyard for the 4th of July. This seemed like an aggressive/desperate move after a single date and I resisted the idea. Lauren and Karen persisted with their suggestion and gradually wore me down my resistance. I invited my date of the previous night to join me at Lauren and Karen’s home for the weekend, explaining that my hosts on the Vineyard would not relent in their insistence on meeting her. The gambit worked and that woman, Jessica Stern, has been my wife for the past 12 years. I’m not certain if we’d be together today had it not been for the famed Lauren and Karen hospitality and eagerness to embrace new people, new ideas, and new challenges. Thank you Lauren and Karen. - Chet