Cabaret for Two: Love + Marriage (Yuri and Gerard's story)

Written by Yuri Kim Moon

Gerard and I attended the same university. I was a sophomore at the time, and we were both in the concert choir. I was the accompanist, and Gerard sang in the bass section, but we didn’t really know each other well.

Yuri and Gerard in salzburg when they first began dating in 2004.

That summer, Gerard and I happened to both join the same summer program in the Czech Republic and Salzburg. Among all the participants, we both only knew each other. We started spending time together and talking more, and naturally, we grew close. After returning to Korea, we continued dating as a campus couple for three years. Around the time I graduated from college, we got married and then moved to the United States to continue our studies.

When we first started dating, one of the professors in our summer program said something we’ve never forgotten: falling in love is easy, but staying in love takes real effort. She also told us to look at each other with our eyes half open..not expecting perfection, but choosing to really see each other. I think what she was really saying was to look at each other’s good sides more than the bad ones. Over time, we’ve learned that marriage is about slowly growing into each other. Who we become together depends a lot on how we choose to treat one another every day. It means listening to the same stories like they’re new, being patient, and showing care in small ways. For us, love isn’t about giving love the way we want it, but learning to give it in the way the other person needs.

Yuri and Gerard returned to salzburg to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary in 2017.