I attended a lecture where Elizabeth and Charles Schmitz, a couple called the Marriage Doctors, talked about their book Golden Anniversaries: The Seven Secrets of Successful Marriage. This book is based on 25 years of research where they interviewed couples all over the world who had been married for at least 30 years. They asked each couple what had sustained their long-term marriage.
The summary of the couples’ responses are as follows:
1. Take time to reconnect with each other after retirement and get to know one another.
2. Be careful not to fall into the habit of sitting and watching television or doing other passive activities. Plan what you want to do with this time and be creative and active.
3. Balance time together while also respecting private time to be alone, reflect, and pursue individual interests.
4. Build a social network of friends and stay active and connected to family.
5. Be willing to be spontaneous along with having activities planned during your day and week.
6. Support and encourage positive health practices in your marriage and care for each other when ill.
7. Share a mutual respect and support for the financial integrity of one’s marriage.
What has made your marriage of thirty or more years last?