Minutes before he was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden posted on Instagram a short video depicting a sweet, intimate moment between him and his wife Dr. Jill Biden, where she grabs her husband by the hand. its supportive. In one of their last speeches in the state where they lived, in Delaware, Jill Biden said that Bidens marriage is known for: support, love and gratitude. And Joe returned it with his post, writing: "I love you Jill, I could not be so grateful if I did not have you with me on this journey."
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The couple's journey from a widow and college student to the first couple in the United States to date is inspiring.
And although Joe, now 78, had to propose to Jill, now 69, five times before she accepted, it is clear the two have a lasting bond.
Early years
Six weeks after being elected Delaware Senator in 1972, Joe Biden received a devastating phone call: His wife, Neilia, had died when a tractor trailer crashed into the van she was driving with their three children. Daughter Naomi, 1, was also killed, while boys Beau, 4 and Hunter, 3, were seriously injured and remained in hospital for several months. At age 30, he became a single parent of his sons.
In his memoirs in 2007, Joe wrote of Jill, "She gave me back my life. It made me start to think my family could be full again."
In an interview with Vogue, Jill recalled their first meeting: "I had experiences with guys in jeans and t-shirts. When Joe came to the door and had a sport coat and serious shoes, I thought, 'God, this is not going to "It never worked, not even in a million years. He was nine years older than me! I went upstairs and called my mom at 1:00 in the morning and said, 'Mom, I finally met a gentleman.'
Their relationship became serious very quickly, with Jill taking Joes's sons immediately under her care: "When Joe was working late, I would go out to dinner and socialize with them."
But despite her love for Joe and his children, she five times rejected his marriage proposals.
After separating from her first husband Bill Stevenson, she was wary of marriage in general. Jill also wanted to focus on her career.
In 1977, the couple married - the honeymooners and honeymoon boys - and in 1981 they welcomed their daughter Ashley.
A few months later, Joe underwent surgery to repair a brain aneurysm. During recovery, he suffered a pulmonary embolism; a few months later, he had to undergo another operation for a second aneurysm.
Jill said her tendency to be stoic served her during that difficult time for their family.
"Our kids never saw me cry when Joe was lying near death at Walter Reed Hospital, after his two aneurysms in 1988."
After this difficult period passed and Joe was enjoying good health, continuing to pursue their individual careers, he ascended the ranks of the Senate as she continued to teach.
Another tragedy struck the Biden family again. In May 2015, their son Beau passed away from brain cancer at the age of 45, just two years after his diagnosis.
"It was quite shocking," Jill said in an interview. "My life changed in an instant. Throughout his illness, I truly believed he would live, until the moment he closed his eyes and I never lost hope."
Together they came together and the whole Biden family emerged stronger and more connected than ever.
As time passed and the Biden couple recovered from their grief, Joe decided to run for the presidency once again, in 2020. Jill was by his side, fighting for her husband - she even harshly stopped a protester from approaching her. stage during the first days of the race.
Joe also continued to be his wife's biggest promoter, publicly praising her at the National Democratic Convention as "the strongest person I know. She has a backbone like metal. She loves deeply and cares a lot." In a CBS interview, Joe said of his wife, "I adore her. I may sound silly - but I can say that when she goes downstairs and looks at me, my heart still beats as fast as it did the first time."
"Our hearts are broken. But the only place we are safe from all the dangers of love is hell," Jill wrote. "And one thing in my life has remained the same: Joey and I have always had each other."
