A silver team: Marga and Edwin complete each other

Edwin started his Macroeconomics studies in 1994. He moved to Tilburg from Sittard. “I thought it would be a good idea to find pastures new. Tilburg was not very far away, but I was the only one among my high school friends who took that step. They remained in Limburg and enrolled at a university of applied sciences or went to Maastricht University.” Marga started with her Text and Communications program in 1997. “Tilburg seemed like a fun and pleasant student city to me. And I wanted to take this specific program. I am also from Limburg, from Weert. I wanted a change of scene, so I decided to move to Tilburg immediately.”

Sports class

Although Marga and Edwin only lived a couple of minutes’ walk apart, in Tilburg West, they did not meet until 1999 in the university’s Sports Center. They both took a sports class there that was a prerequisite for the student sports card. They were not immediately interested in each other. That did not happen until Marga and Edwin met again on a night out. “On a Thursday night, fortified by a few beers, I went up to her in discotheque The Talk of the Town,” Edwin remembers. “We agreed to have some dinner at Uitstad, which is now called Studio.”

Living together on 8m2

“Initially, I thought Edwin was not at all my type,” Marga states. “I was an ‘alternative’ arts student, he was a ‘mainstream’ Economics student. I was skeptical, I had no idea whether we suited each other. Still, I instantly felt easy around him. I could be myself with him. Because it was nice chatting to him, I thought: ‘Oh well, I’ll just have a date with this guy.’ Not much later we were an item.”

That things were hunky dory between Marga and Edwin was borne out by the fact that they started living together in Marga’s student room of eight square meters, when Edwin had to give up his own room. Marga: “I was living in a house with two friends when Edwin moved in. He was already working, I still was enjoying my life as a student. That clashed sometimes. He had exactly one hook for his suit. That was all the space there was to hang his clothes,” she laughs. “We thought: if we can get through this, we can deal with anything.”

Tilburg is home

After Marga’s graduation in 2003, they started living together properly, in Tilburg. And they have never left. Edwin: “I went to live here with the idea that I wasn’t going to stick around for long. I have always thought of Tilburg as an unattractive city, but every time I’ve been out of town and come back, I feel: this is my home. There’s always something going on in Tilburg.” Marga: “Tilburg is a creative breeding ground for all kinds of fun initiatives, small cafés and restaurants. It is a city with all the amenities but with a village atmosphere.”

Students nowadays want to graduate as quickly as possible, because of the cost

Friends for life

Marga and Edwin think back with nostalgia of their time as students and all the parties they used to go to. Edwin: “We are members of a generation for whom it did not matter if your studies took a little longer. The social aspect was really much more important than studying. I am still in touch with some of the guys of my TIK group. We are now a group of twelve men and we go out together twice a year. We went skiing recently.”

Present-day students probably miss out on these things, they conclude, especially the students who studied during the Covid period. Edwin: “Students nowadays want to graduate as quickly as possible, because of the cost. That is a pity because Tilburg is such a fun place. You don’t really need to become a member of a student association, the social activities will present themselves to you. I have made friends for life here.”

Family

When they had been together for exactly eleven years – maybe that number betrays the Limburg connection – Edwin proposed to Marga. They got married in 2010 and now have two daughters, Lise and Gwen, aged nine and six. Marga works as a communication specialist at Chronisch ZorgNet in Eindhoven and, as a self-employed person, teaches creative workshops for children aged 6 to 12. Edwin is a business banker and has been active as a self-employed entrepreneur since January 2018. He is hired by financial institutions or helps entrepreneurs find their way in the financing landscape.

Ups and downs

What Marga and Edwin appreciate most about each other? Marga: “I can really ruminate about a problem, and then Edwin suggests a super simple solution. I like it that he is so rational.” Edwin adds: “Marga is very creative. As to music, we are pretty much on the same page: we both like solid rock music and festivals. And we both enjoy having a leisurely beer at a sidewalk café. That is what we used to like when we were students, and we still do. Furthermore, Marga is chaotic and I like structure.” Marga: “We are a kind of yin and yang, we complement each other.”

In those 25 years, they have had their ups and downs. Edwin: “What has really had an impact in recent years is that our daughter Lise’s illness. She had leukemia and had to undergo chemotherapy and even a stem cell transplant. That was rough . It has also brought us much closer together. We are the stronger for this experience, though.” Marga: “That period has also shown us, no matter how different we are, how well we complement each other. We are a great team: the caring mom and the structured dad. And our greatest dream has come true: she is better now.”

Date of publication: 24 April 2024