Falling for the Love & Marriage Issue of Seven Days

Reader, we here at Seven Days have something we’ve been meaning to tell you. But we’re nervous to say it out loud because as soon as we do, it’ll change everything. We’ve got a good thing going, and we sure don’t wanna mess it up. But the heart wants what it wants. So here goes.

We love you.

Seven Days readers are smart, funny and sexy. You’re thoughtful, creative and kind. Sure, sometimes you get mad at us if we say something is in Essex Junction when it’s really in Essex or we write a story you think is too liberal or conservative — or not liberal or conservative enough. But that’s all part of a healthy relationship. It’d be weird if we didn’t disagree once in a while, right?

So, yeah. We love you. (It’s OK if you don’t say it back. We know.)

Love takes many forms. That’s what’s so great about it: It’s malleable. And, as we explore in this Love & Marriage Issue, how we define love has a way of evolving over time.

Just ask Garth and Clara Peterson. The high school sweethearts eloped in 1963. Theirs was a storybook romance, filled with travel, family and lots of love. When Clara developed Alzheimer’s disease and had to move into a Burlington nursing home, their relationship changed. But their love hasn’t wavered.

The Petersons’ marriage is remarkable. But there are other ways of expressing and nurturing love. Placing friends at the center of our lives, rather than romantic partners, is an idea that’s gaining popularity, especially among younger generations. In an essay and series of creative vignettes, sex educator Sarah Diedrick describes what “platonic intimacy” means to her.

For more varied perspectives on love, visit Vermont photographer Craig Harrison’s exhibition at Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury. “I am___: Portraits Illuminating Identity” depicts queer folks radiating acceptance, hope and joy.

Living joyfully is part of the motive behind AARP Vermont’s new sex education webinar for seniors. Hosted by sex ed expert Jenna Emerson, the series’ focus is better living through intimacy.

Of course, we are rarely more joyful than on that special day when we declare our love for all the world to see. So it’s natural to want to look good. With DIY jewelry-making workshops and private bridal consultations, South Burlington boutique Elli Parr helps wedding parties accessorize. Aesthetics are important when it comes to wedding food, too. Baker Erinn Simon of Burlington’s That Cake Stand makes wedding cakes that are beautiful and delicious.

Food is a powerful love language. For proof, look no farther than the Farmer’s Hand, a new on-farm restaurant in Brookfield. It’s owned and operated by couple Kyle Doda and Betsy Simpson, farmers who grow almost everything on the menu at their 1000 Stone Farm.

A labor of love, indeed.

The original print version of this article was headlined “Sweet on You | Falling for the Love & Marriage Issue”