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by Emma Sylvia
Not everyone is lucky enough to have a love story that’s worthy of putting into words. Most romances as such are fictional, like the ones found in “Romeo and Juliet” or “Titanic.” However, Rumson resident Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez has always been a writer, and just as crucially, also fell madly in love with her husband, publisher Adrian Lopez. After Adrian became sick and passed away, Lopez knew that their love story was deserving of publication. This year, she released “A Place of Promise.” Today, she discusses the memoir, and how to persevere through severe loss with the help of love you’ve always had.
Globetrotting
Lopez’s life has taken her all over the globe. Born in Plainfield, her family moved to Mantoloking during her teenage years. Later she spent a year at a junior college northwest of Boston before moving to Switzerland.
“I wasn’t real happy at junior college,” Lopez recalls, until a family friend spoke very highly of schooling in Switzerland, calling it a premier cultural experience and an opportunity to meet people from all over the world. “It was really mind-opening and wonderful. My favorite classes were all creative writing. I loved that, being so close to the Alps. It’s an area that inspires writers.”
A Love Story
Lopez was in her early 30s when she was working as a medical artist at NYU. “All of a sudden,” she says, “the work stopped coming in.” She was unwilling to call her parents for assistance until her mother, with an instinct that only mothers can have, called her and asked if something was wrong. The next day, Lopez moved out of the city and back in Mantoloking with her parents, which would ultimately lead to her reconnecting with a family friend named Adrian who would become the love of her life.
“All of a sudden, the world was in color. That’s what love is; you become your better self,” she recalls. They were soon married.
“I became my best self. I became the artist I was always meant to be,” says Lopez.
After 20 years together, Lopez’s husband became sick. “He was ill but never complained. He was one of the kindest people who walked the earth. He never said a negative thing about another human being.” His nurses – as well as Adrian himself – encouraged Lopez to write the story of their love and lives together.
“It dawned on me,” Lopez recalls, “that no one could do it but me.” Her ideas for the memoir began to form, which she describes as a fawn that could not yet stand up on its own legs. “I wanted to honor my husband. I knew there was a story there. I didn’t think I could do it, but I had to do it,” she says.
Subtitle
While Lopez received encouragement for her writing, after many rejections, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to get the memoir published. However, her editor in turn rejected Lopez’s own doubt, leaving her determined to find a home for her memoir. Eventually, she succeeded, with “A Place of Promise” being released in May of this year.
“This is all because of Adrian,” Lopez says. “He loved me unconditionally.”
The reactions to her book from friends, family and the community alike have been wonderful.
“Friends have told me they can’t put it down. One friend said she cried all the way through it. It’s touched me to see the effect it’s had on people. I’m hoping it helps heal others who have been through loss,” she states.
Having the strength to complete such a monumental task after such a devastating loss was not an easy hurdle to get over. But Lopez knew her husband wanted to see her thrive in the days ahead of her, including the years without him.
“The last two years of my husband’s life, we had every meal together, and he would start with a prayer and always end it with, ‘Please give Marcie a long and happy life – and be sure she has a lot of fun,’” Lopez recounts. “That prepared me to have a positive life after my husband’s death. I was shattered; it was like losing a limb. But I had that positivity from him. My parents and Adrian wouldn’t want me to give up.”
“A Place of Promise” isn’t just a tale of love, but a reminder to the reader that you can persevere through any loss and come out on the other side with a life – and perhaps even, a book – to be proud of.
To learn more about Lopez or order your own copy of “A Place of Promise,” visit marcieshrewsburylopez.com
