Lasting and Loving Marriage Secrets

Imagine getting to 60 years of married life! Even Mick and I have got quite a ways to go to get to that one. You figure people that make it to 60 years must have figured out some of the secrets to having a long and loving marriage, don’t you? So I thought I’d let you in on a couple of secrets from those who have reached this milestone. John and Marg, a local couple here in the St Georges Basin area celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary recently. When asked what they believe the secret to a long and loving … Continue reading

Top Tips for a Lasting Marriage from Those Who Know.

Want to learn some secrets to a lasting marriage from a couple who know what they are talking about? Then read on. Despite experiencing good and bad times, and life’s ups and downs, Bill and Muriel McGee this week celebrated 60 years of married life. This achievement earned them congratulatory cards from Queen Elizabeth 2nd and the Governor General of Australia, as well as a bouquet of flowers from our local politician Jo Gash. So to what do Bill and Muriel attribute their long and lasting marriage? 1. ‘You have to share.’ 2. ‘It’s all about give and take.’ 3. … Continue reading

What’s Wrong with Young Marriages?

You often hear meaning people say that some couples are too young to get married. There is a theory and some evidence to suggest that young marriages don’t work. Yet years ago, many people were married much younger than they are today. Once 18 wasn’t considered young to get married. In fact you will find many of those who have been married fifty years or more would have been married around this age or certainly before 21. Do the math. You’d have to be married fairly young or live a long time to rack up that many years. In the … Continue reading

Essentials for Happy Lasting Marriage

Here are my first five essentials for a happy lasting marriage. Last night as Mick and I played a game of Settlers of Catan, I was thinking about our marriage and thinking about how far we’ve come over our more than 40 years of marriage from that young couple that started out together. So here are a few of my essentials. 1. Love Love is the obvious starting point. But not the wishy washy excuse for love we see on movie and TV screens. And not just lust or chemical attraction which also gets portrayed often but a real concern … Continue reading

What Makes for a Happy, Lasting Marriage?

What makes for a happy, lasting marriage? According to Edward and Ella Chapman who this week celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, it is: ‘Love, respect and complete commitment to one another,’ Bev and Geoff Woodham who recently celebrated 40 years, say their secret to a long and loving marriage is ‘being great mates who share interests and enjoying life together.’ From my own point of view of over 40 years married, I’d say love, respect, and enjoying each other’s company come near the top of the list. Respect for the other person as they are without trying to change them … Continue reading

Marriages Need to Grow

Those who have been through marriage preparation classes could perhaps be better prepared for the reality of marriage. They’re a good idea but they still don’t have all the answers. Basically we can discuss issues before we are married. Mick and I did. We talked about children, money, other family members, religion and anything else that came to mind and that’s great. But sometimes those held views change over time and we need to rethink. That’s when we need to make sure the lines of communication stay open. Good, lasting marriages don’t just happen. Like gardens they need time to … Continue reading

Secret of a Lasting Marriage

Want to know the secret of a lasting marriage? I’m guessing you do if you’re here. Sydney and Betty Cooper, an Australian couple who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary recently had differing views about how to achieve this milestone. Sydney Cooper said, ‘the secret was more on Betty’s part than mine.’ But then he went on to add these wise words, ‘talk things over before making decisions, try a little tenderness and work as a team.’ The thing that struck Betty initially, from the time she first met Sydney, was his ‘thoughtfulness,’ and ‘courtesy. Thoughtfulness and courtesy carry over into … Continue reading

Secrets of Long Lasting Marriages

I love finding stories of long lasting marriages. Most of them are young marriages but they have to been married young to be able to rack up that many years. One recently was Norm and Ona Leffler. He was 20 and she was 19 when they married. This year they received among their congratulatory messages, one from Queen Elizabeth, one from the Governor General and one from the Prime Minister of Australia. I wonder if Mick and I will ever get to 70 years married. Another couple, Gordon and Roma Adams, first met as children at school. As teenagers it … Continue reading

Marriage Blog, I Bid You Farewell

An adventure that began two years ago in Pets, then expanded to Marriage a little over a year ago when I first introduced myself here, has reached journey’s end. Today I’m writing to say farewell. Dale should be rejoining you all very shortly. She’s already back to posting in Christian so I imagine it won’t be long before she makes a reappearance here. You’re also going to get a new face to Marriage, but definitely not to Families.com. Mary Ann Romans is one of Families most prolific bloggers. She’s written in different categories over the years and is currently covering … Continue reading

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward: A Lesson in Long Marriages Hollywood-Style

I didn’t think I was going to have anything to write about Paul Newman’s death here in the Marriage Blog. I figured that’d be something for the girls who cover the Popular Culture Blog to write about. But as I’ve come across all the different tributes to his life, something’s become glaringly clear: Paul Newman was more than an actor, a race car driver, a camp founder, an activist, and a food line entrepreneur. He was a loving, devoted husband, something he seemed to be just as proud of as he was of any of his other accomplishments. Maybe even … Continue reading