RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
In a world where the forecast for lifelong love can often be dismal, the marriage of former weather anchor Robin Maharaj and his beloved wife, Grace, has weathered every storm, blossoming into a beautiful love story that spans more than 60 years.
Maharaj, renowned for his precise weather predictions during his 25-year tenure at Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT), opened up exclusively to the Sunday Guardian WE magazine, sharing the intimate details of their enduring romance.
The couple, who has two children, Gary and Glenn Maharaj, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, now reside in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States.
Maharaj said he and Grace never had a formal wedding as they eloped as teenagers after falling in love. “When we finished writing our A’levels in 1962, we understood that we would then leave school and be apart, far away from each other. That was something we could not live through. I asked her father for her hand in marriage but was rebuked. We eloped soon after, hiding out at Mayaro, until my parents found us,” Maharaj recalled.
Later on, his parents formalised their union on December 13, 1962. “It was just the signing of the marriage certificate with a pundit. No witnesses except my mother and father; no dressing up, no speeches, no music, no celebration. We always praise my parents’ role and profound love in formalising our marriage,” Maharaj said.
Asked for details of their romance, Maharaj said their love story began with a chance encounter at an intercollege soccer game, where he caught sight of Grace. “She was 16 and beautiful. I was 17 and stunned,” he reminisced. Their paths crossed again at the Carnegie Public Library, where they shared their first conversation over lunch. “A month later, before we wrote Cambridge Exams in 1960, Naps Form 5 students gathered for a prayer session at Susamachar Presbyterian Church. I lifted my eyes and saw her in the congregation. Bravely, I stepped down and went up to greet her and I beseeched her to meet me after the service. She did and we clicked,” he recalled.
As their children were born, Maharaj said they encountered the storms of life, juggling careers and family duties. Maharaj’s career as a meteorologist took flight and Grace had the arduous task of caring for the children while Maharaj studied. “Our jobs and the demands arising from performing them brought serious problems. I worked night shifts for 25 years at the Weather Service. Grace was a teacher and her career demanded her attendance. Then taking care of our growing sons made her task difficult. She did all that astutely, understanding her expanded role and delivering the best as a wife and dedicated mother,” Maharaj recalled.
He said his marriage faced a serious storm in the 1970s as he became a weather forecaster and later the TTT weather anchor. “This was the most stressful event in our marriage. I had to study in Barbados at the Caribbean Meteorological Institute in 1970 to become a weather forecaster. We decided that I would go alone while Grace stayed in Trinidad and took care of our first son, continuing her job as a teacher. Over the two years of the course, Grace and our son visited with me there, during vacation. It was a serious challenge,” he recalled.
Despite the trials they faced, communication remained the cornerstone of their relationship. “We always felt that our commitment to each other could only be the best if we talk about everything in our lives,” Maharaj said.
“Feelings, emotions, likes and dislikes, opinions about our lives, what we would do next, plans to achieve our goals, the status of our finances, our jobs—we need to have exchanges on them all the time,” he said.
He recalled how difficult it was when he had to travel for training and seminars abroad, leaving Grace alone with the boys. However, he said when he got a job in Geneva, Switzerland, when I joined the UN World Meteorological Organization as a meteorological scientist, Grace resigned from her job and accompanied him.
“It was a proud moment. I applied for and was selected from 160-plus applicants around the world, to become a professional meteorological scientist at the UN World Meteorological Organization,” he revealed.
Forecast for the future
Asked what was the key to overcoming challenges, Maharaj said, “Relationships do not last because of the good times, they last because the hard times were handled with love and care.”
And although he admitted that their storms were few, Maharaj said divorce was never an option for them as he was always aware that Grace had left her parent’s house to be with him without their consent. “No way could I ever think of not being with her, taking care of her, showing her my love and devotion or making her uncomfortable with her decision to be with me,” he said adamantly. To young couples, Maharaj shared some valuable advice. “I say, aim for a happy marriage always and let that be your mantra when facing challenges. Communicate everything with your partner and together, always reaffirm your love and support for each other. Forgive when there are issues and take care of each other always.”
A forecast for the future, now in their 80s and enjoying their golden years together, Maharaj said staying healthy is their main focus.
“We talk, chat, look at movies together, and we try never to be apart in retirement,” he said. He admitted that after he retired he was overweight. “With Grace’s encouragement and practical advice, I walked long distances and got my weight down to 138 pounds. My Lady Grace has a constant weight of 112–114 pounds, the same as 60 years ago.
“Over the past 12 years, I have been accompanying her to the gym,” he said. Doing strenuous workouts 28 days a month, Maharaj said, keeps them healthy and happy. “People are incredulous at our very physically active lifestyle. And they loudly wonder how we are able to pursue it as octogenarians. Old people get weak, sick and suffer, we are lucky to be alive and kicking. We must keep moving and postpone having to take cortisone injections in our joints,” he quipped.
Maharaj revealed that after all these years, he and Grace continue to share responsibilities at home. “Grace does housework and I do all our cooking. That gives us maximum time to enjoy each other’s company. We are never on a diet. Our eating habits are somewhat strict–no sugar, oil, fats and wheat flour,” he revealed.
And for those couples weathering storms, Maharaj had this piece of advice. “Don’t wait until things get bad to fix your marriage. Mutual faith and trust ensure a successful marriage. Each deserves honour and respect.”
Maharaj said even though they never had a formal wedding and are not big on celebrating anniversaries, they spend each day together with gratitude, thankful that they have lived 61 years together enjoying a love that continues to shine bright like the sun through stormy clouds.